


Hungry Like The Wolf

by WolfAndHound_Archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Drama, Post-Sirius in Azkaban, Romance, Work In Progress, mating for life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2004-07-23
Packaged: 2018-05-18 15:40:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5933686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfAndHound_Archivist/pseuds/WolfAndHound_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After twelve years in Azkaban and thirteen years apart, has Sirius really changed that much? And what about Remus?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One Step Closer

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Lassenia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Wolf and Hound](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Wolf_and_Hound), which was created to make stories posted to the Sirius_Black_and_Remus_Lupin Yahoo! mailing list easier to find. However, even though I still love the fandom, I am no longer active in it and do not have the time to maintain it. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in December 2015. I posted an announcement with Open Doors, but we may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on the [Wolf and Hound collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/wolfandhound/profile).

Remus shuffled down the hallway, wearily balancing his armful of belongings as he headed toward the apartment that he had rented. Thanks to Hogwarts, he had quite a bit stashed away, more money than he'd ever had in his life really. But what else did one expect for taking a job that most considered cursed?

He shifted some of the things, his tattered briefcase and empty glass tank. Carefully he set down his possessions and unlocked the door, then gathered them back up in his arms and stepped into the threshold.

Floating candles were already lit, dimly luminating the room. The only pieces of furniture in the vacant room were an old, over- stuffed couch and a rickety coffee table, but he rarely lived in a place that had furniture, so it was a real treat.

He headed toward the bedroom, which turned out to be one of the nicest Remus had seen since his days at Hogwarts long ago. The four poster bed even had curtains around it, and although they horribly clashed with the room, he could care less.

He slid off his robe and hung it on a bent nail on the wall. He paused when he started unbuttoning his shirt. Something had caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

He sighed, but smirked. "You know, I don't think you studied Animagus transfiguration to spy on me undressing, Padfoot."

The large black dog emerged from the shadows, then melted into the familiar form of Sirius Black. He grinned mischeviously. "Evening, Moony."

"Want a drink?" Remus offered.

"Sure," he gladly accepted.

The two remaining Marauders left the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. Remus pulled out two bottles. "I had a feeling you'd drop by eventually, so I picked up some of this." He handed one to Sirius and sat down next to him on the couch.

"Butterbeer," Sirius smiled. "Just like old times."

"Almost," Remus sighed, rubbing his temples.

For a long moment neither friend spoke, just enjoying the silence, and each other's company.

After taking a particularly long swig from his butterbeer, Sirius spoke. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it really has been awhile," Remus said. "Thirteen years."

"Thirteen years too long," Sirius's turn to sigh.

"Not even Azkaban could keep you, Padfoot," Remus said. "Some where deep inside I knew you were innocent. I knew that you would never betray James like that. But who would believe a werewolf?" He gave a forced laugh.

"I can't believe Peter- PETER of all people- betrayed James. Betrayed us," Sirius snarled. "He is going to pay dearly for what he did. He took James and Lily away from us forever, then condemned me to twelve years in that hell hole-" Sirius visibly shuddered, the memory of twelve years in Azkaban was obviously something he could live without.

Remus nodded his understanding, putting a comforting hand on Sirius's shoulder. He let his friend continue. "If only I was their secret-keeper. I would have taken their location to the grave. But I insisted on Peter.." His voice trailed off, and Remus knew he was choked up again.

"Sirius, you can't keep blaming yourself for their deaths," Remus said softly. "All the 'what ifs' and 'maybes' will drive you insane. Peter betrayed all of us; not you. I know you would easily trade your life for theirs, I would have done the same thing in a heart beat. What we need to think about now is how to make things right again. We need to clear your name and prove that Peter was responsible for those twelve Muggles'- and James and Lily's- deaths. It. Wasn't. Your. Fault."

Sirius's black eyes locked onto Remus's warm brown ones. "I realize that, Remus, I do..." He had to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. "But why can't I believe it?" He suddenly collapsed against him, burying his face into Remus's chest.

Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius as thirteen years of unreleased grief wracked his body. He never realized it before, but Sirius had never had time to mourn his friends' deaths. Remus had thirteen years to grieve. Sirius had twelve years of losing and regaining his mind, and a hidden vengeance.

Remus stroked Sirius's hair gently, comforting him as best he could as Sirius released over a decade of unshed tears.

Finally Sirius's sobs subsided, and he slowly looked up to Remus. "Thank you, Moony." It was simply said in a hoarse whisper.

Remus instinctively wiped the remaining tears away with the pads of his fingers. "Anytime," he said softly.

Their gaze locked again.

Thirteen years apart had been a personal hell for both men, even more than Azkaban. More than two friends, two brothers, two Marauders, two lovers- their bond was unique, something only Remus and Sirius shared. Something that even thirteen years had not tarnished or weakened, because werewolves mated for life.

"Remus." He rested his head on Remus's shoulder. "You don't look so good."

"Neither do you." Long black hair that should never be matted, getting caught in his fingers.

"I did this to you." A bond that could never be broken, wasn't that what he'd been warned? "What if I hadn't escaped, Moony? Would your death be on my head too?"

"Maybe." He shifted a little. "You need a bath. Right now."

"But I'm comfy." Sirius nestled closer to Remus.

"I'll come with you."

Sirius quickly got to his feet. "Lead the way."

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+ ~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

Remus dunked Sirius's head under the warm water. "You take rotten care of yourself, Padfoot."

"I know." He rested against the warming porcelain. "But then, I wouldn't be in your bath tub."

"You have bath tub privileges from now on." Remus combed **something** out of Sirius's hair.

"Is the bath tub all I get?"

It wasn't an expected question, but one he'd wanted more time to think about. He paused, rubbing in shampoo. 'It's not like you can find someone else if you say no.'

"Moony?" Sirius was unnerved by his silence.

"No, the tub's not all you get." He picked up a bucket and poured water over Sirius's head.

"So I get the kitchen too?" His joking tone Remus had missed so much.

"We used to have a lot of fun in the kitchen." Sirius's eyes flashed open. "You're right, Paddy. Azkaban was hard on me too. Especially during the full moon. The wolf, he lost his entire pack, not to mention his mate."

Now that was a word he hadn't heard in a long time. Their last year together had been filled with suspicion and distrust. The only time all could be forgotten was during the full moon, and those few moments weren't enough to stop their drifting. "I'm sorry."

"You're not listening to me. Not. Your. Fault. Peter's. Remember?"

"I know." He sounded so tired, Remus couldn't help himself. "I just-" Sirius's next sentence was cut off by a kiss. "Remus?"

"Dry off and come to bed." He set a towel next to the tub before leaving the room.

It was a very confused escaped convict that climbed out of the bath. Sirius did know one thing though. That one kiss had done more to warm his Azkaban-iced soul than the hot water.

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+ ~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

"I can feel you out there, you know. Full moon is only a few days away." Remus's voice startled him. Sirius had been standing outside the bed curtains, still trying to figure out what was going on. "We're both tired, Padfoot, and I promised the government I wouldn't bite."

"That joke is older than Harry," Sirius opened the curtains enough to get into bed. "Are we just pretending the past decade or so never happened?"

"For tonight we are." Remus was on 'his' side of the bed. "We can deal in the morning."

"Sounds good to me." He let Remus kiss him again, returning it this time.

Stretching out next to him, Sirius asked, "Do you remember whose turn it is?"

"I think," Remus rolled over, pinning Sirius to the bed. "It should be mine."

The look in Remus's eyes was feral, almost **hungry**. His eyes fell on the calendar. February 21st. 'Luprecia, just last week, and the full moon coming up. I will not be afraid of Moony. I will not be afraid of Moony.'

The ties on the pants Remus had left him were quickly untied. "I've missed you, Paddy." It was whispered against his flesh, accompanied by a lick. "We've missed you."

Sirius didn't miss the collective pronoun. The wolf was awake, and it had his scent. "Not as much as I've missed you. Those cells... I wouldn't wish it on anyone short of Voldemort in them."

"Shh." Remus pressed a finger to Sirius's lips. "No shop talk."

"Okay." As Remus slid down, wetting his lips, Sirius would have agreed to just about anything. When that moist heat enclosed his flesh, he had to close his eyes. Sooo long since anyone had touched him...

Remus would admit he was a little out of practice. In fact, to keep from choking and accidentally biting down, he wasn't even going to try to deep throat. But he had other tricks. He took as much as he could in, and kicked up the suction a notch. His tongue ran up along the vein on the underside of Sirius's cock, and Remus smiled when he heard a moan. He grabbed a tube off the nightstand, and squeezed some onto his fingers.

Sirius heard the snap of the tube, and his body twitched in anticipation. No one knew his face outside Muggle Britain. The past few months, there had been nothing to keep him from finding a body to warm his bed. Except... he'd known Remus couldn't. A finger breeched his body and Sirius snapped back to present. A dozen years hadn't dulled Remus's knowledge of his body. He still knew just where to touch.

Remus let a feather light touch drift across Sirius's prostrate, and was rewarded by a shiver. He gave Sirius one last lick, then backed off. He didn't want this to be over before it began.

"Remus..." Sirius sounded more desperate than he would have liked.

"I told you, shh..." Remus gave him a second finger. "You're still so impatient."

"I think," Sirius gasped as Remus twisted his fingers. "I think I spent enough time being patient."

"Maybe." He started to stroke Sirius's hair. This time his fingers went through cleanly. Remus slid his ring finger inside, and watched Sirius melt into the mattress. "Good doggy."

Sirius actually whimpered when Remus pulled his fingers out. "Now? Please..."

"Okay." Remus ran a thumb over Sirius's temple, a useless calming gesture. "Like this?"

"Yes."

Warm flesh nudged against him, and to Sirius, it was like coming home.

Tight. Warm. 'Mine.' The wolf flared in the back of his mind, but Remus kept control, kept it slow. He'd been given Sirius back, and wasn't going to abuse that trust.

A flash of pleasure tore through Sirius. So long since **anyone** had touched him like that. So long he'd feared a kiss goodnight. Not anymore. The first gentle thrust nearly sent him over the edge, and he'd forgotten Remus's obsession with his hair, strands now twisted around his fingers. A line of kisses, kept in time with each stroke, across his jaw finally did him in.

Sirius went limp against the mattress, Remus still thrusting inside him. He whispered Sirius's name when he came. To Remus, it was perfect.

The next morning he woke up with actual hope for the future.

He also woke up alone.


	2. By Myself

The full moon rose, and the wolf was angry. He paced back and forth, pausing only to snarl or gnaw on his tail. He was too frustrated and upset to care that he was making a tremendous amount of noise. All the wolf knew was that it's mate was gone. The wolf stopped pacing and released another dark, anguished howl. 

\----- 

Remus woke up the next afternoon in worse shape than he'd been in the night before. He did not recall what Moony had done, but he couldn't really care less. He bitterly glanced at the calendar. It had been the third full moon since he'd first awakened alone.

'Just like before.' Remus retrieved his robes and wand then proceeded to chant a few healing charms. He normally would have winced at the deep gashes on his arms and legs, but he was too numb inside to care about his physical condition. The wolf still cried inside him. They were both so lonely, so betrayed. And this betrayal was so much worse than the one more than a decade before. At least Remus had been expecting that one.

He'd suspected Sirius a long time before the Ministry had. His normally open lover had become so secretive, so closed off. Looking back, it was their lack of trust for each other that had started this whole fiasco. They'd both been so sure the other was working for Voldemort, they went weeks without even a touch. Then, it looked like Lily and James had escaped, and if they'd trusted Sirius he could too. They'd made love for the first time in what felt like forever, and then he'd woken alone. He'd awakened to a nightmare.

Three of his best friends dead, the other blamed for their murders. A dozen Muggles slain where they stood, his lover in Azkaban. It had nearly killed Remus. His next change was as bad as it had ever been, before today, worse than the first time. The wolf had grieved for the stag and the rat, and howled for it's mate before tearing itself apart.

The wolf still cried for Padfoot, but Remus didn't have any tears left for Sirius. He'd thought that when Sirius showed up on his doorstep, they'd been given a second chance at love. He wouldn't make that mistake again. ----- Something was nagging at Sirius. 'Did I forget something?' He just couldn't put his finger on it. 'Well, anything I forgot must not be that important...' It was the same feeling he'd been having for months now. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the suspicious feeling in his head, YOU FORGOT.

Sirius scratched his matted hair. At least his last visit with Harry had gone well. He'd missed that boy something terrible all these years. But something... he had forgotten something. But what? He turned to watch Buckbeak pawing at the ground restlessly. Sirius got up and went over to his hippogriff companion. "I wish you could tell me, Buckbeak." He sighed. "Want to get some air? Maybe it'll help us both."

Buckbeak seemed to approve and so Sirius led him out of their temporary shelter and into the cool air of the night. Sirius patted the hippogriff's muscled side, and was about to hop onto the trustworthy beast's back when he saw it.

The full moon, glowing like an orb shaped specter against a starless sky. "Remus..." He spoke the name softly, cherishing the word. Off in the distance came the spine-tingling howl of a wolf. It made him think of Remus all the more. 'I wonder if Moony-'

And Sirius suddenly knew what he'd forgotten that morning he'd fled his lover's flat in a panic. All he'd been thinking of was his godson. Harry, Harry had needed him. He'd meant to owl, but things had happened so fast. He'd literally dropped everything and ran, ran without telling Remus goodbye, without so much as a note.

Cursing himself, Sirius hopped onto Buckbeak's back, and flew as fast as they could go in the direction of Remus' flat, praying he would understand, and forgive his absent minded love. 

\----- 

Something was banging loudly from across the room. Remus opened his eyes, or rather, squinted painfully in the direction of the noise. "Go away! Just let me lay here and suffer in peace." Remus was long used to the scratchy quiet voice that escaped his bloody lips. The knocking wouldn't stop though, and now it was adding to his migraine.

Somehow, he managed to lift himself up, wincing as he jarred all the welts and gashes on his body. He limped over to the door, rubbing the unkept beard on his face, the result of months of not caring what he looked like. He wondered what shape Sirius was in, and then thought bitterly, 'I hope he looks much worse than I do.'

The wolf, still awake inside of him, snarled. Moony blamed him for Padfoot leaving. Every full moon proved that point with abundant clarity. He combed his hair with his fingers, but it was pointless. Sighing, he spoke louder this time. "Go away!"

The knocking stopped, but only for a moment. Remus half swayed, half stumbled, and clutched at the doorknob for support. So weak... a normal man would have needed a transfusion after loosing this much blood. But, as everyone so often reminded him, he wasn't a normal man.

The knocking began again, steady and almost rhythmic. "Fine, fine. I'll buy your damned product." He muttered to himself as he flung open the door. He froze, his heart skipping a beat.

Sirius stood there, looking just as he had, if not better, than the night he had disappeared. Sirius seemed to look relieved, but at the same time shocked at his friend's condition. "Moony." He looked terrible. The change, it hadn't been that rough in years.

Remus just stared at him for a minute. "You don't get to call me that anymore." Then he slammed the door shut, and sank to the floor.

Blessed unconsciousness.


	3. Runaway

They checked their address. Surely one of their kind would not live in such a place as this.

The woman turned to him, her emerald eyes filled with worry. "He's here, but his life force is very weak."

"Are you sure?" The man raised his eyebrow, skeptically. "Poor thing. Must be worse off than we thought."

"Have I ever been wrong before?" She asked, her voice filled with urgency. "We have to get to him, now. Before it's too late."

"Very well." The man pulled out his wand. "Alohamora."

The usual click of the lock opening did not follow. They were not surprised. The man pulled out one of the woman's bobby pins, smiling at how her long blond hair fell. He then began to pick the lock, his grin widening as the lock snapped open. His dark eyes glistened, amber flecked. "We're in." 

\-----

Remmy, please let me in. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking! I'm so sorry... please, just let me in... let's talk about this... I can explain... please baby... I need you...Remus...

Please forgive me, love.

Sirius's voice echoed in Remus's mind, the same muffled whimpering begging sobbing voice that he'd last heard. That had been three days ago, but the time didn't seem to matter anymore to him. In fact, it seemed almost as if time had stopped after those words passed his lips. 'You don't get to call me that anymore.' He couldn't stop it, no matter how much he wanted to. He could never take those words back, and there was no doubt in his mind- It was over. After more than a decade of waiting, it was finally over. Everything was over.

Remus couldn't even move, he just laid on the bed and stared up at the canopy above him. He didn't remember when he crawled across the floor and onto the bed. It was just a matter of time until his eyelids drooped, then closed forever. For the second, no the third time in his life, Remus welcomed death with open arms. He could almost hear James and Lily now. It had been a long time since he'd seen them. And even though he hated to admit it, he missed Sirius.

'He left you.'

'He should be suffering now.'

No, no, no! He came back. My fault.

My fault.

MY FAULT.

The wolf inside growled vengefully at Remus and he knew if he lived until the next full moon Moony would destroy him. Suddenly, there was a bright flood of light... he was dying, dying filled with regret. But... something was... wrong. The pain wasn't lifting... and his eyes were adjusting to the light.

Was he going to hell because of the monster he was? Because he was the dark creature the Ministry labeled him as. Because he couldn't forgive his lover, his soul mate, his Paddy.

A soft palm touched his forehead. It felt very cool and comforting, like a mother's touch. Remus weakly turned his head and saw the person attached to the soothing hand.

The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen was hovering worriedly over him. Long golden curls fell gently from her head, and her eyes were the color of jade. 'An angel?' Her touch did seem to lift the horrible pain from him, almost as if she was freeing him from a curse.

All too suddenly his eyes came into focus, and he realized he was very much alive.

The woman was accompanied by a man about Remus's age; tall, dark, and of course- handsome. His dark eyes were lit up in some areas by yellow specks, and his hair was a dark shade of gray, despite his young face. The only flaw with the man's features was a jagged scar across the midsection of his face.

He wanted to leap up and demand to know who these intruders were. A sudden fear came over him- could they be werewolf hunters? He tried to sit up, but the woman touched the side of his face softly and said, "Please... you're hurt... let me finish healing you... I promise we're on your side."

Somehow, Remus knew he could trust the woman. He didn't speak, his throat still parched, so he just meekly nodded.

"Give me the flask. I can sense internal bleeding, and he's very thirsty," the woman told the man.

"He's really fucked up, isn't he? I've never seen one this far gone... Merlin, he must've beaten himself like a house elf."

"Shh... the flask," the woman ordered quietly, stroking Remus's hair.

The man complied to her request, gazing over Remus with pity in his eyes. He handed her a small flask filled with a dark red liquid. "Drink this, it will help," she said, tenderly lifting his head and bringing the flask to his lips.

He greedily drank the liquid, which had a sweet, pleasant taste. A small trickle of the ruby liquid escaped his mouth and ran down the side of his face. The woman let him finish, then wiped away the tiny trail that resembled blood.

His thirst finally quenched, he managed to ask, "Who-"

The woman smiled, placing her finger to his lips, silencing him. "My name is Sophious. This is my partner, Lobious. We're here to help you. We heard your cries during the past three full moons and came as soon as we could. You'll be alright now. The potion will make you fall asleep, but when you wake up you'll feel much better. Now rest. We'll explain why we're here when you wake up."

Remus suddenly was too exhausted to protest, the potion taking effect, and the woman still tenderly stroking his hair... he soon drifted off to a dreamless sleep. -----

The Hogwarts Potions Master stood outside of the door, hesitating. Should he knock? Or just walk in?

This was the right address, he had checked many times. Yet even the dungeons were more welcoming than this slum. And Lupin had left the door open.

Perhaps he had been discovered- and was packing to leave.

Finally, Severus decided to just walk on in. "Lupin?" he asked in an irritated tone.

No response. Maybe he wasn't home? Snape walked towards what ended up being a tiny kitchen. "Lupin... you'd better be here... I've come all this way... Dumbledore is worried... you haven't taken your wolfsbane for the past four months..." His voice trailed off as his sensitive ears picked up something.

He heard a voice coming from behind a half-closed door. Instinctively he pulled out his wand and headed silently and stealthily over to the door.

He shallowed his breathing and listened intently on the voice inside the next room.

As if they could sense him, the voice suddenly went quiet, and Snape mentally cursed at himself. Holding his wand tightly, he pushed open the door to see who was talking.

What he saw, to say the least, amused him. A lovely blond woman was sitting beside Remus, who laid sleeping on his four poster bed. The woman leaned down and placed a tender kiss on Remus's lips.

Snape grinned, wondering if Black knew his faithful werewolf (if there ever was such a thing, he thought to himself) was snogging with this woman.

He turned to leave when he ran smack into someone else. He stumbled back in surprise, clutching the vial of wolfsbane and his wand now in a death grip. "What are you doing here?" Severus demanded.

"Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing," the man gave him a sly smile.

"Just dropping this off on Hogwarts official business... Albus Dumbledore himself sent me," he responded in a dignified voice.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" The man advanced on him, and Snape held out his wand threateningly. "Look, I'm in no mood for a wizard's duel. I'll give Remus the potion for you."

Snape looked the stranger over. Finally he decided he had wasted enough time here in this dump, and so he said, "Fine. He knows what it is, and what it's for." He walked briskly past the man.

Suddenly the man spun around, and grabbed Severus by his left arm. Snape tried, but couldn't break his grip. "Leave now," the man's eyes narrowed, making the scar across his face even more menacing. "There's no need for a mother fucking Death Eater to be waltzing in here anymore." He released Severus then, just as roughly as he had grabbed him.

Taking his warning very seriously, Snape raced out of the flat to safety.

Lobious just stared at the vial of dark liquid, then poured it into the kitchen sink. 

\-----

Padfoot was running the length of the corridor, his legs moving as fast as they could. Dumbledore's instructions played again in his head.

"Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher- the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."

Arabella and Mundungus would be easiest to speak with. Remus, however... his heart clenched painfully.

"You don't get to call me that anymore."

He turned the corner, nearly knocking over a Ravenclaw boy. He would go tell Arabella and Mundungus first- then he would head back to Remus's flat. Maybe Remus would be in a better mood, willing to talk.

"Wait!" Snape's cold voice came from behind him.

Sirius skidded to a stop and turned to face him.

"Before you go... there's something I'd thought you'd find interesting... about Lupin," Snape seemed to grin, his black eyes lit up with amusement.

He looked around, and once he was sure nobody else was around, he spoke. "What about Remus?"

Severus looked even more amused, despite of what he had to do as soon as he left Hogwarts. "He seems to have... taken a different type of company lately..."

"What are you getting at?" Sirius snapped, releasing a small growl.

"Dumbledore sent me to give him his wolfsbane, and when I went to his flat... he was in bed, but he wasn't alone."

Sirius growled, deeper and more menacing. "Liar. Remus wouldn't-"

"Oh, but would he? Why don't you go see for yourself? I just thought I'd tell you. After all, Dumbledore made us promise to trust eachother... didn't want to see my new friend get hurt." With that, Snape slid on down the corridor, leaving without another word.

Sirius just stood there, his tail drooping with his ears.

"You don't get to call me that anymore."

Had Remus...?

'No, don't let that bastard Snape get to you. He's still sore from a practical joke when we were just kids. He's been looking for ammunition against me since. Stupid git probably just talked to Remus and found out about... our problem.' Sirius thought, continuing to run down the corridor. 'Everything will be alright. I just have to talk to Remus, explain that I'm the one to blame... I forgot to leave a note... he'll understand that it was all for Harry, that Harry needed me to be there for him... Remus, please forgive your stupid lover.'

As soon as his paws touched the grass outside, Sirius tore into an all out sprint, racing as fast as he could to get to Remus's flat.


	4. Crawling

Remus awoke with a start. He sat up quickly, looking over his arms and torso. To his surprise, Remus found himself relatively unscathed. 'Was it all a dream?' All of it? Had he just imagined the drama with Sirius? Maybe it was still February. He slid out of bed, intent on checking the calendar, but before he could look, the door opened. "So...Rip Van Winkle is finally awake."

"Lobo!" The angel. She was standing behind that man. "If you were ever that sick after a change, I bet you'd sleep for a few days too."

"Days?" Had he really allowed himself to get that bad? "God, it hurt so much."

Sophious spoke hesitantly. "You were... in bond shock. We thought, perhaps, you'd lost a mate."

"I came here expecting a murderous rage. Instead, I got a half dead wolf." Lobo smiled and Remus almost expected fangs. His arm had automatically come to rest on Sophious' waist. "You must have loved her very much."

"He."

"What?"

"He. I loved him." Remus waited for their shock. Many thought the wizarding world was a place of great acceptance. That was a fairy tale. And being a gay werewolf? He wasn't liked by many people.

"Oh." Sophious looked at Lobo. "That man you chased out of here! Is your cold that bad you couldn't smell a mated bond?"

"That man was a Death Eater!"

"Man you chased out?" Damn, Sirius was persistent.

"The fellow with greasy hair and a dark mark."

"Severus?" Remus started laughing. It felt good. "You think... Snape!" He couldn't help himself. It was just too funny.

"If you were a Muggle, you'd be bursting your stiches." Sophious was glad to see Remus could still laugh. "I was just wondering. Was that furry thing in you fridge alive once?" He blushed. "Maybe I should go shopping?"

"Want me to come with you?" Lobo's attention immediately snapped away from Remus.

"Lobo, I'll be fine. There's a store right around the corner. I'll be right back. Stop worrying about me so much." Her tone left no room for an argument. "Besides, I want you to look after Remus. What if that Death Eater comes back? He's still healing, he can't fight. I'll bring back your favorite."

"Steak?" Lobo's eyes lit up, remembering the taste of it. Their work had often taken him to America, a place where beef was cheaper not to mention safer.

"I'll see if they have any." She smiled, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Be right back."

She left, Lobo watching her the entire time. Remus had noted their interaction and commented on it. "She your mate?"

Lobo looked down and sighed. "Unfortunately, no." He suddenly turned and looked at him, a fake grin pasted onto his face as he changed the subject. "So, you're probably wondering why we're here, am I right?"

"That would be my first question, yes," Remus said.

Lobo grabbed a nearby chair and carried it over. He spun it around backwards then sat down, straddling it. He rested his arms on the back of the chair and his eyes glistened. "Let me ask you something first- how do you feel about the Ministry?"

"It is beyond inefficiency and extremely corrupt, their dictations unjust and their laws unfair, prejudiced, and outdated." Remus wondered why he wanted to discuss politics.

Lobo's grin widened, he was obviously pleased by Remus's response. "Excellent. Then you'll be interested in what I have to say." He cleared his throat, then continued. "I am the leader of an organization devoted to gaining us rights. Like you, I too have lycanthropy. And like you, I think the Ministry doesn't give a fuck if we live or die. That's what my group would like to change." He paused to let Remus absorb what he said.

"What's this group of yours called?" He asked, interested.

"We don't have an official name yet. Right now, we just refer to ourselves as the Wolf Pack," Lobo said. "Our goal is to gain back our rights the Ministry has taken away from us. We want to have respectable jobs and be trusted in wizard society. We want to be able to get wolfsbane potions and other treatments to help make the transformation less painful and less dangerous. And- most importantly- we want representation in the Ministry." As Lobo spoke, Remus heard and related to the deep passion behind each word. "So... when we heard that a werewolf taught at Hogwarts last year, we thought that we had made a huge step forward. We were disappointed that you had to leave, but if everything we're fighting for works out... who knows? Maybe you can go back to teaching again."

Remus wondered if such a thing was truly possible... but he was learning quickly that Lobo was a very persuasive speaker. "So... how do you plan on achieving such a goal?"

"Right now I'm recruiting members to the Pack. You'd be the fifth if you accept." He paused and sighed. "The hardest thing is to find those who want to fight this. Many of our kind don't trust anyone- not even other werewolves. Others have gone mad, and can't distinct the wolf from the human anymore. And some just don't have the courage to face the Ministry, fearing that if they do, it's death or a dementor's kiss."

He nodded. No wonder that these two were the only two werewolves he'd met since he was first bitten. "So, you interested in helping us?" Lobo asked.

"Of course." Remus didn't even have to think about it.

Lobo smiled. "Great. There's only one thing I have to ask you to do. Show me your scar."

"I beg your pardon?" Remus hadn't expected that.

"You know... where you were first bitten. Here, I'll show you mine." Lobo stood up from the chair, took off his leather jacket. He hooked his fingers underneath the bottom of his white T-shirt and pulled it over his head in one swift motion. A pale, crescent-shaped scar was etched on his collarbone. "I was a teenager when it happened. My parents kicked me out after they found out I was infected. So much for their support. I couldn't turn to any other family because- well, let's just put it this way- my two uncles are werewolf hunters, and my only aunt never liked me anyway. So... what about you? Wait- let me see, then I'll guess."

"Okay." Remus easily removed his shirt, still in awe at how quickly his wounds had healed.

Lobo sat down on the edge of the bed beside him and motioned for him to come closer. Remus obeyed, sitting beside his new friend. "Let's see... it's pale, so this is an old wound... also, it's large, so you must have been very young when you were bitten... crescent-shaped like mine, so it was a male that bit you... and it was going for your throat, too, another hint that it was a male werewolf." As he spoke, Lobo traced the scar lightly with his fingertips, and an involuntary shudder ran through Remus's body. His eyes locked onto Lobo's. "It was a deep wound. It must have been very painful."

"Yes, it was." Although Remus wasn't talking about his scar anymore. Lobo seemed to catch this. Before Remus could protest, Lobo had his arms around him, and embraced him in a comforting hug. "You're part of my pack now, Remus," he whispered softly into the other man's ear. "I make it my duty as the alpha wolf to protect my pack members. Whatever he did to you, he won't do it again. I promise I'll protect you from now on."

Neither of them noticed Sirius standing in the doorway. Neither of them heard his heart shatter at the sight of his lover in bed with another man.


	5. A Place For My Head

He felt dead inside. Deader than Azkaban had made him. Snape's words kept echoing in his mind. 'He was in bed, but he wasn't alone.'

"I think I'm gonna be sick."

The bartender set down the glass he'd been cleaning. "Okay, mate, I'm cutting you off."

Sirius sniffled. "He... he found someone else. I thought, I'm such an idiot! How could I do that to him, and expect him to still love me?"

Michael, the bartender, was used to scenes like this. Even if it was usually a woman involved. "You kill his dog or something?"

Sirius burst into tears. 

\-----

Sophious had returned and to Lobo's delight, she's found some grade-A prime beef. Now the three werewolves were gathered around the rickety kitchen table, finishing diner. "That... was... delicious." Lobo was busy scraping his plate clean.

She smiled. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Liked is a major understatement." Lobo looked to Remus. "I bet it feels good to have a decent meal."

Remus looked at his plate. "I haven't been taking very good care of myself, have I?"

Lobo looked at Sophious, and an unspoken argument passed between them. "No man, mate or not, is worth hurting yourself like that. You're in our pack now, Remus. We're going to make sure you take care of yourself."

Remus, obviously wanting to change a touchy subject, asked, "So, when do I get to meet the rest of the pack?"

"Tomorrow, if you'd like. We usually meet in Muggle public places, clubs and such, to go unnoticed. Those ancient laws about wolves in groups..." He paused to finish the last gulp of tea. "If you need clothes, let me know. I think you're about my size. We'll get you cleaned up and in some clubbing clothes and you'll have a blast."

Sophious giggled. "How do you feel about leather pants, Remus?"

"Leather pants?"

"That's practically all Lobo owns," she raised an eyebrow at her partner.

"What? I like how it looks, feels, and most of all- smells," Lobo grinned, and yet again Remus expected fangs. "What can I say? The wolf in me wins that battle."

They laughed, and after a little while longer they began to clean up. Sophious seemed to be looking for something, carrying around her plate that only had a few bits of meat remaining on it. "The trash can's under the sink," Remus said.

"Oh, I wasn't looking for the trash bin." She turned to Remus. "I was looking for your dog to give him this."

Remus stared at her for a moment, then threw the plate he was holding to the floor with a crash. "That damned bastard! Sneaking into my home, after what he did!"

Lobo and Sophious stood back as Tornado Remus tore through the house. They understood.

\-----

Remus was staring into a box of photos, wondering if he could really bring himself to shred them. Especially since some of them had James, Lily, and Harry in them.

"Remus?" Sophious's soft voice came from behind the closed door. "May I come in?"

"Enter at your own risk." He set the picture back down in the box.

She came in the room, Remus heard the door close behind her. He could sense her coming over, and a moment later he felt her cool touch on his shoulder, and he felt a little calmer. She sat down beside him on the floor, gracefully crossing her legs. "So... what are you looking at?"

"Pieces of the past I should have gotten rid of a long time ago." He bitterly retorted.

"Want to talk about it? I know it doesn't help sometimes, but it doesn't hurt, either." She said softly, then picked up one of the photographs. "So... which one is he?"

Remus reluctantly pointed, and Sophious nodded. "He seems like a nice guy- very handsome. But sometimes it is those types you have to keep away from." She placed the photo onto the small heap in the box. "He seems... familiar, somehow."

Remus gave a short, forced laugh. "Maybe you'd recognize him here." He shuffled through the box and pulled out the folded newspaper article.

Sophious gave a small gasp of surprise. "He's your mate? Sirius Black? The man who escaped Azkaban?!"

"Was my mate," he sourly corrected.

"I'm sorry." She said after a moment, tenderly placing her hand on his. Her eyes looked down, studied the floor. "I know what it's like, to feel so betrayed by your own mate."

Remus looked up at her, listening. This was the first time he'd seen his "angel" upset, and it already had an effect on him.

She looked up at him and continued, but with great hesitation. "I... I was bitten almost fourteen years ago." She held up her arm, and across her forearm was the familiar crescent-shaped scar. "It nearly took my arm off. I was... I was defending my fiancé and my son." She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "When I awoke at the hospital, they weren't sure if I was positive for lycanthropy or not. Hell, they didn't even know if I was going to live or not. I lost a lot of blood from the wolf's assault... But He stayed by my side, and told me that everything would be all right. And I was naïve and stupid, so I believe Him.

"When the tests came back... it was almost the full moon again. I'd spent most of the month swimming in and out of consciousness. They told me that I was a werewolf, and that there was no cure known to stop the curse. And just like that, my life was over. They went through all the restrictions on werewolves, Ministry laws, things like that. Then, I went home, and things went from bad to worse." Remus saw her visibly shudder at the memory, and she closed her eyes again to regain her composure. He instinctively squeezed her hand, urging her to continue. "My fiancé wouldn't even look at me, and kept my baby far away from me. I didn't share His bed anymore... not even His room. Since the full moon was drawing near, He talked me into staying down in the cellar. I was scared of what would happen when I turned for the first time, and I wanted Him near me. He agreed- only if I stayed in a cage. After all the nurses, doctors, and specialists had described what I would become, I agreed to His request.

"All I can remember are bits and pieces of things from my first few transformations. I can see Him, and I can tell that somehow He's won the wolf's trust. It took a year, but the wolf... it bonded with Him, and He became my mate. While He pampered the wolf, He tortured the rest of me. I never left that cellar or that cage. I was a prisoner in my own home, really. He never brought my son to me... and I grew to hate Him. But the wolf wouldn't let me do that. Even when He hurt me like He did... the wolf cried for Him when He did not show up on a full moon... and there were times when I would wake up in terrible shape, like you." She looked up, her gaze locking on to his. "I know the pain you're going through more than anyone else. As long as the wolf is bonded to its mate, you are. Only the wolf can make or break the connection."

'Only the wolf.' Did that mean he was doomed to live his life alone? Moony still loved Padfoot, and after thirteen years, Remus knew he always would.

\-----

Sirius was just sniffling now, slowly drinking the coffee Michael gave him. "And, and I forgot to leave a note. Moony, **hiccup** , I'm so sorry."

Michael was convinced his customer was bonkers. Werewolves and evil wizards. What a crock. But, he was pretty sure the break up was real. "Hey, maybe he'll take you back."

Sirius shook his head sadly. "I found him in bed with another man."

Well, bugger. "You sure?"

"They had their shirts off, and he was touching my Remus's scar." Sirius slammed the coffee cup down. "I'm gonna get him back."

"Good for you."

"Any ideas?"

"Go out, have some fun. Get this Remus off your mind." Michael handed him a flier. "Check it out."

\-----

Remus remembered why he hated clubs. He could smell blood everywhere. Even on the leather Lobo had made him wear. The rest of the pack was sizing him up.

"He's cute." The dark haired woman with olive-colored skin spoke first. Her dark brown eyes had the familiar golden flecks in them. She extended a graceful hand. "My name is Kalika, I'm from America. Welcome to the pack."

Leaning against the wall was the man introduced to him as Blaze. Older, middle-aged, with graying hair and sunglasses indoors or out, he projected a kind of injured dignity. Remus could only guess the glasses hid the flecks in his eyes. "So you're the one who taught at Hogwarts?" He asked. "What did you teach there?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts."

The older man's eyebrows arched. "No kidding? That's a good thing to know, especially tonight."

"Why? What's going on tonight?"

"You can smell it, can't you? Blood everywhere. That means they're near, and so we'd better be on the look out." Blaze stated, gazing over the crowded dance floor from their corner.

"Yeah. Stupid blood-sucking gits think they're so goddamned perfect. And since we're stronger and faster than your average human, they like chasing after us. Think it's some sort of game." Lobo grumbled from across the table, where he was lounging beside Sophious.

"Shh Lobo, don't start." She hissed at him, but it was too late- a small group of people clad in black leather had headed in the direction of their table.

Remus could smell undead flesh mingled with fresh blood and his stomach churned. He instinctively slid his hand into his pocket and grabbed onto his wand. The group- about seven of them- stopped just short of their table. Lobo simply flashed his devilish grin at their guests. "May I help you?" He asked, still grinning.

"Blood-sucking gits? You want to say that to my face?" The obvious leader of the vampire gang stepped forward, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward.

"How about I call you 'decaying undead halfling scum', would you prefer that, Azimodeus?" Still with that grin, his volume never raising. This only made the vampire angrier.

"You no good mutt," he spat, eyes dangerously narrowed and his fangs flashing. "Just you wait. One day I'll feel the glory of the last drop of your filthy blood running down my throat. Let's go guys. We don't have time to play with the puppies." With that, the vampires stomped off, vanishing into the undulating crowd.

Sophious had her hand on Lobo's chest, holding him back. He was absolutely seething with rage. "Puppies? I'll give him puppies..." He snarled.

"Don't let him get to you." Sophious placed her hand on top of his clenched first. "They aren't worth it."

Her voice combined with her touch made the flicker of anger fade from his features. "You're right. Like they'll ever get us anyway. We're puppies with fangs, and our are bigger."

"Lobo..."

"Fine, fine! I need a drink." Before Sophious could protest, Lobo was on his feet, heading for the bar.

He didn't notice the man sliding off a barstool until it was too late. They both stumbled. "Watch it you-"

Recognition dawned on him as Sirius Black's fist raced towards his face.


	6. Pushing Me Away

Lobo leapt back so fast he knocked a small group of dancers over, and almost fell over himself, dodging Sirius's attack. He scrambled backward too quickly and smacked hard against the edge of a table. He and the table toppled over, and Sirius leapt at him again. This time he moved fast enough, and his fist connected with the side of Lobo's jaw.

Lobo, who had been hesitant to fight the Azkaban escapee at first, now attacked back out of defensive anger. His best weapon had always been his mouth. "What the fuck was that for?" He glared at the convict as pain radiated from the blow.

"That was for touching my mate!"

Lobo's mind flashed back to a few nights ago, putting a stake through a female vampire's heart. 'Her thrall...' He could hear Azimodeus and his undead crew laughing over the din of the crowd, obviously entertained by his pain. "No bloody familiar's gonna take me down, even if it is Sirius Black!" He snarled, then attacked Sirius.

The brawl had caught the attention of some people nearby, and while most stayed to watch, a few others went to call the police.

And then the Calvary arrived, Sophious screaming, "Get your hands off him!"

Remus and Blaze arrived at the scene first, pushing their way through the crowd. Remus was not a happy werewolf. "As if it wasn't bad enough you sneak into my home, you have to follow me when I go out?!" He pulled Sirius away, and Blaze managed to keep Lobo from breaking loose.

Remus took in the scene. Overturned tables, glasses shattered on the floor, and two men who were sometimes more animal than human snarling at each other. "You just don't get it, do you Sirius? Stay away from me, and stay away from my friends!"

"Wait-" Lobo held up his hand, pointed to Sirius. "You know this minion?"

"Unfortunately, he's my mate." Remus looked disgusted.

"The police are coming!" Kalika came running over to them. "We have to get out of here now!"

"I say we leave him for the coppers and bug off," Lobo growled, wiping away the trickle of blood that oozed from a wound on his forehead.

Moony snarled at him, and Remus knew he had no choice in the matter. "Come on before I change my mind," he tugged Sirius by the arm. His tone of voice was not one to question, so Sirius simply obeyed.

The pack left the club, and seconds later the police pulled into the lot, sirens wailing and lights flashing.

"Change forms. I'm not getting caught with you like this."

Knowing Remus was a force to be reckoned with in this mood, Sirius complied. Lobo's jaw dropped, his words caught in his throat. Blaze and Kalika weren't much better.

It was just in time. A cop stopped them outside of the bar. "Excuse me, sir. Did you see this man? He's an escaped convict, very dangerous." He held up a Muggle photograph of Sirius.

Remus just smiled a little. "Only escaped convict we have is Padfoot. Keeps leaving the house when he's not supposed to."

Sirius whimpered.

\-----

"Ow!" Lobo howled in pain as Sophious cleaned his cuts with alcohol.

"I want you to remember this the next time you pick a fight with Remus' boyfriend." She threw out the bloody cloth.

"I didn't start nothing! He went after me first!" Lobo shot an angry glare at Sirius. "What makes you think I'm after your mate, anyway?"

"Don't deny it! I saw the two of you in bed!" Sirius wasn't going to let Lobo play the innocent victim here.

Sophious arched an eyebrow. "And why wasn't I invited?"

"We never - I - He's lying!" Lobo blushed furiously. "Remus, tell her we never... well, you know!"

Remus just patted Sophious on the shoulder. "Next time, you can join us."

Sirius produced a remarkably canine-like growl, and Lobo kept sputtering. He was suddenly glad the rest of the pack had left; he didn't want them to see their Alpha like this.

Remus burst out laughing. "Merlin, you'll buy anything, won't you, Sirius?"

"You and he aren't, aren't - he- he- was touching your scar! He was all over you!"

"Not like I could, Sirius. I'm stuck with you for the rest of my life."

There was a long awkward silence that was only interrupted by Lobo hissing as Sophious continued to clean his wounds. She wiped off the last of the blood. "Lobo, why don't you and Remus go into the kitchen? I want to talk to Mr. Black alone."

"You want me to leave you along with this murdering scum?" Lobo rubbed across a cut. "No way."

"He's not a murderer, he's a rotten boyfriend, but he's not a killer." Remus lead Lobo out of the room. "I'll explain."

She waited until they were both gone before she spoke. "Do you have any idea what you've done to him?"

"I didn't mean to!" Sirius was getting sick of this. "My godson almost died four times in a matter of weeks! I'm sorry I forgot to leave Remus a note, I'm sorry I didn't tell him about Peter, and I'm sorry he's stuck with me, alright?!"

Sophious didn't say anything, just tended to his cuts and bruises and studied him for a moment. Finally, she asked softly, "Do you still love him?"

"Of course I still love him!" Sirius sighed. "But I really did it this time. He's not gonna forgive me again. I wasted my second chance." He tried to hide the way his voice cracked in the end, but failed miserably.

She tenderly cupped his chin in her hands and forced him to look into her eyes. "There's still time to make things right, Sirius. He still loves you."

"He certainly has a nice way of showing it, doesn't he?" He forced a short laugh.

"Remus is angry with you, and he has the right to feel that way. You made a mistake, and now you have to set things right." Sophious said softly. "When you left him without saying goodbye, something inside of Remus snapped. Something from the past still haunts him, and that is why he is so upset with you. You're the only one who can find out what is really bothering Remus."

Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why are you doing this?"

She smiled. "Because you and Remus have a very special bond, and I'm going to make sure that nothing ruins that." With that, she left the room, leaving Sirius to wonder what that meant. He opened the door, and ran straight into Lobo.

"Hello, Puppy." He licked his canines. "You're a real bastard, you know?"

"I'm not in the mood for this right now." Sirius narrowed his eyes, irritated.

"You know, you aren't so scary now that I know your little secret. So much for the infamous Muggle-killer Sirius Black. And I know your type- I've seen it before." Lobo advanced on Sirius, glaring right back at him and getting up in his face. "Remus belongs to us now. He's in my pack, and I'm going to make sure that you never hurt him again. You understand? Remus doesn't belong to you anymore."

Something snapped inside of him. "He'll always belong to me!" He bellowed, and Sirius attacked Lobo in a rage.

The noise reached the kitchen, and Remus threw the door open. "What the fuck is going on here?"

Fingers wrapped around Sirius's neck, Lobo looked up like a chastised child. "Um..."

Growling, he ripped Lobo off Sirius, and threw him across the room. "My first years had more self control than this. Sophious, take Mr. Testosterone home. Sirius, the heat's off. Get the hell out of my house."

He took a deep breath and coughed. "Remus-"

"Get out!" And he said nothing more until everyone left.

A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. "I'm not letting you in!"

Something heavy fell to the floor. "Then I have a real problem, Professor Lupin."

A sinking feeling in his chest, Remus opened the door to reveal... Harry Potter.


	7. With You

"I am so embarrassed." Sophious fumed. "You just can't behave yourself, can you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay?" Lobo rolled his eyes. "I'm just trying to let Mr. Black here know that he'd better not try anything or the pack will finish him off."

Sophious stopped walking, spun around, and glared at Lobo. "Enough, Lobious. No more! It's your fault that Sirius is on the streets!"

He was taken aback by her outburst, and responded, "What do you expect me to do? The man left him, Sophie, just like-"

"Stop! **NO**!" Sophious snapped. "Don't even say it, Lobo." Her voice was suddenly threatening, and her eyes narrowed and went dark. " **Never** compare Sirius to Him, Lobo. Sirius didn't _beat him_. Sirius didn't lock him in a cage and _leave him for days alone_. Sirius didn't _rape him_. Sirius didn't burn, cut, or _whip him_. Sirius didn't use _Crucius_ on him. Sirius did not **take away his baby boy**! All Sirius **did** was forget to say good bye, Lobo! A simple, minor mistake! And I won't let that break their bond!" She was practically in hysterics now, screaming as tears fell down her face.

Sirius spoke. "Sophious, calm down. I'm an idiot, and he likes rubbing it in. You don't need to get so upset."

"No." A renewed determination washed over her, and she suddenly smiled. "I've got it. You're staying with us, Sirius."

"I- what?" Lobo blinked, staring at her like she'd gone mad.

"I don't think that's such a good idea... your boyfriend and I would probably kill each other." Sirius and Lobo exchanged their first look of agreement.

"Well, we can't just leave you out in the cold... and Lobo will behave himself." The last line was a hidden threat. "What other options do you have, Sirius? You're an escaped convict from Azkaban. At least no one will bother you if you hang around us."

"I guess you could say I've been thrown to the wolves." That mischievous Black grin flickered onto his face, and he playfully punched Lobo's shoulder. "What do you think, roomy?"

\-----

"Harry?" Remus blinked a few times. He had a suitcase with him, and almost faded bruises on his face. Only one as skilled as Remus at hiding his own wounds would notice. "In Merlin's name what are you doing here?"

"No hello?"

"Fine." Remus took a deep breath. "Hello, Harry... how are you?"

He picked up his suitcase and walked into Remus' flat. "Alright, I suppose. Uncle Vernon threw me out though, so the summer wasn't a complete waste."

"Wait a second!" He took Harry's suitcase from him, and ushered him to the couch. "He threw you out?"

"Three weeks ago. I don't want to talk about it." Harry looked around the flat. "Where's Sirius?" 

"Sirius?" 

"Sirius." Harry smiled. "Tall guy with dark hair? The one Dumbledore says is living with you? The one who's not answering my letters?"

"Dumbledore?" Remus cleared his head. "Harry, I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"After the TriWizard Tournament?" Harry suddenly realized Remus really didn't know what was going on. "Merlin, have you been living under a rock? Didn't Sirius come here?"

"Oh, he showed up." Remus reminded himself not to growl. "He just didn't stay long. Showed up in February, disappeared the next morning." 

"February's when he came at Hogwarts. I sent him a letter, and he dropped everything and came running." Remus' heart skipped a beat. "He was here?"

His mouth went dry. "Tell me everything." When Harry finished, Remus wanted to die. 

\-----

It was sometime after midnight, and Remus couldn't sleep. He kept tossing and turning, reflecting on the past months' events.

**"You don't get to call me that anymore."**

"Is the bathtub all I get?"

**"Get the hell out of my house!"**

"Are we just pretending the past decade or so never happened?"

**"Stay away from me, and stay away from my friends!"**

"I'm so sorry..."

**"Unfortunately, he's my mate."**

"I can explain... please baby..."

If Remus didn't get out of that room and escape his thoughts, he'd either go insane, kill himself, or both.

He got up, put on some clothes, picked up the leather jacket Lobo had left him, checked on Harry, then headed out into the night.

\-----

"Welcome to the den," Lobo said as they entered a small, tidy house in a decent neighbourhood. 

The contrast between their home and Remus' was like night and day. Sirius admired their home. "Nice place you've got here... but how-"

"Muggles sell anything to anyone at the right price." Lobo grinned. "Turns out no one would buy this place because of some rumour that it was haunted. The truth is that vampires used it as a safe house, but we were able to chase them out. Azimodeus is still sore about it, that's why he's pissed off at me."

Sophious yawned. "I think you boys can behave yourselves. I'll go get the guestroom ready for you, Sirius. Then I'm heading to bed." She kissed Lobo quickly on the lips. "Behave." She headed off down the hall, leaving them alone.

"So... you want a drink or something?" Lobo offered, leading Sirius into the living room.

"No thanks." Sirius gazed at the collection of crucifixes on the wall. "I get funny when I drink."

There was an awkward silence. Both men were afraid to get into another argument, especially after Sophious's threat. Lobo sat down on the couch, and motioned for Sirius to do the same. "So, um..." Lobo cleared his throat. "About earlier... sorry I gave you the wrong idea... I mean about... touching Remus' scar- I'm not that way, so don't think that- it's just I'm interested in learning how you pack members were bitten, it helps me understand more about... what we are, why the wolf behaves the way it does. I'm sorry if you thought- well, you know- but like I said, I'm only interested in women. I don't hold it against you or Remus that... you're mated... there are worse things in this world than being in love with someone of the same sex. But I only like women- rather, one woman." Lobo sighed, and paused from his rant a moment. Sirius didn't say anything, just simply nodded his understanding. "If she wasn't already bonded to that asshole, I'd want her to be my life mate."

Sirius looked up, surprised. "You mean... you two aren't...?"

Lobo shook his head, and gave a sad smile. "Actually, that's why I was pissed off with you. When I saw Remus that first night, he was pretty fucked up. And I thought- well, I thought you did it to him. Because when I found Sophie, she was the same way. Her own mate treated her worse than you would any human or animal. He kept her locked in a small room in the cellar. She was chained like- no offense, but a dog."

"None taken," Sirius said softly. "Who would do such a thing to such a sweet woman?"

"Like I said, there are worse things in this world." Lobo was glaring, but not at Sirius. 

\-----

The cool night air had helped clear Remus' mind tremendously. Still, there was a lot playing in his head. Harry had told him a lot, and yet nothing at all. He'd talked about the TriWizard Tournament, Cedric's death, seeing the ghosts of his parents, Voldemort rising again. Yet he did not say why he was kicked out of the Dursleys, or where that bruise came from. Somehow, Remus knew they were connected- but how, he did not know. And Harry wouldn't talk to anyone except Sirius.

Sirius. Remus wondered where his mate was, and a surge of guilt went through him. 

" **You don't get to call me that anymore.** " He started to jog, pulling the leather jacket tighter around him. Suddenly the park seemed colder and darker... or was it because of his thoughts?

He stopped suddenly, his sensitive nose picking up something. The stench of fresh blood... and death.

Remus was running now, an all out sprint. He could sense them behind him, following him. Their stench was almost overwhelming and then-

A figure leapt out from some bushes in front of him, and Remus skidded to a halt. It was the one from the club, Azimodeus.

He grinned, flashing his fangs. Fresh blood was smeared all over his face, still dripping off his chin and Remus' stomach lurched. "Well, well, well... looks like we have a lone wolf pup, boys." His malicious grin widened. "I thought I smelled one of Lobo's puppies." 

He unconsciously bared his fangs. "I'm not a puppy, you decaying corpse."

"Decaying corpse, huh? Want to tell my friends here that?" Remus was surrounded by at least ten vampires, all glaring at the cornered werewolf. "I don't know about you guys, but suddenly I'm **very** thirsty..." The group of vampires closed in on Remus, the stench more than he could bear.

Then they pounced, Azimodeus's laughter ringing through the air. Remus snarled, and inside, Moony joined the fight. He went for Azimodeus's throat.

He was about to sink his teeth into the cold, pale flesh when one of his minions tackled Remus, knocking the wind from his lungs. 

Moony was fully awake now, and Remus pushed the vamp off of him easily. He bit, clawed, and punched at his attackers, but they kept coming, getting in a circle around him. The wolf needed strategy, and called on Remus. The vampire was upon him as he pulled out his wand, and it pierced the vamp's heart, turning it into dust. 'The wand... It's made of wood.'

" **Will!** " Azimodeus almost screamed his name. "Hold him down!"

It took four vampires to hold him down, and Azimodeus stalked forward, smiling, his fangs showing. "I'm sick of you wolves. That was my childe you just staked. You'll die slowly for that." Almost delicately, he pulled down Remus' collar, ignoring his struggles. His teeth tore into the carotid.

Remus screamed at the first draw. The vampires had been checking on their leader, but they suddenly stopped. 

A voice. "Get your fucking teeth away from him!" 

Blaze. Remus' eyes drooped shut. Azimodeus hadn't stopped feeding. 'I'm going to die...'

An image flashed before his eyes. 'Sirius...'


	8. Forgotten

"Remus?" Sirius said it suddenly, right in the middle of their conversation.

"What about him?" Lobo looked up from the video game system he had been showing Sirius.

"You didn't hear him call me just now?" He wondered if he'd been hearing things. It wouldn't be the first time Sirius had imagined Remus' voice.

"No...." Lobo set down the controller. "Maybe he's calling for you. They say that life mates with strong bonds can communicate telepathically."

"Why would he call me?" Sirius looked down.

"Maybe a change of heart and he wants you back." Lobo shrugged. "I dunno."

A cold chill suddenly raced down Sirius's spine. He shivered and looked at Lobo, who was staring back at him. "You felt that too, didn't you?" Somehow Sirius knew something was off, but he didn't understand. "Something is wr-"

BOOM!

Both men leapt to their feet as the front door swung open and slammed hard against the wall. A split second later Blaze and Kalika rushed in. Both of them looked like they'd been in a car wreck. Remus was thrown over Blaze's shoulder in a fireman's carry. "Vampires, the whole clan."

"Remus." Sirius felt sick. "Is he...?"

"No, but that bastard Azimodeus bit him." Blaze lowered Remus onto the table, knocking everything off it in a swift motion. "He's lost a lot of blood, I don't know how long he'll last at this rate." Sirius went pale. He'd wasted his last chance. What if... He couldn't even stand to think it.

"I'm getting Sophie." Lobo raced from the room.

"Keep pressure on it. Damn him." Blaze was growling. "He was outnumbered. They jumped him." He kept his hand over Remus's neck wound. "Bastard had half of his bloodsucking gang hold him down so he could feed off Remus."

Sirius's mouth went dry, and when he finally regained enough of his senses, he walked over to the table and took one of Remus's hands in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Paddy." Sirius's head jerked up, and he looked into Remus's eyes.

He gave a weak smile, trying to keep it together. "Moony."

Remus tried to sit up, but Blaze held him down. "Try not to move. You've already lost a lot of blood."

Something flickered in Remus's eyes. He wasn't one to forget a person for months on end. "Sirius... Boy...my flat. I left him alone. Hurt. They did something to him." His voice was slurred and he wasn't making any sense.

"Remmy, don't speak. You need your strength." Sirius squeezed his mate's hand harder.

Remus made a frustrated noise. "Boy... my flat... Paddy... he needs you."

Sophious came rushing in, Lobo flanking her. They came to Remus's side. "Kalika, grab me some towels, alcohol, and an ace bandage. Blaze, keep pressure on the wound." She was in her element, and everyone followed her directions without protest. She placed her hands on each side of Remus's face and tenderly forced his gaze into hers. "Sirius, keep holding his hand. He needs to know you're here for him now. Don't worry, he'll be alright now."

Sophious cupped Remus's chin with one hand and stroked his hair gently. "Lobo, get me a sleeping potion. He'll heal faster if he's unconscious." Lobo quickly followed her instructions, but Remus was still talking.

"No... Siri... the Boy... my flat... hurt. He needs you."

"Shh... don't talk." Sophious chided him, looking to Sirius. "What does he mean, Sirius? Something is bothering him. He shouldn't keep talking or her might make his injury worse."

"I don't know." But suddenly Sirius's Swiss cheese mind made the connection. "Harry! Harry's at your flat! They hurt him? Who?"

"Are you deaf? What did I just tell you?" Sophious snapped at him. "He shouldn't talk! You can go check it out after Remus is healed up. Right now he needs you. Please."

There was a pause, then Sirius nodded. He'd already abandoned Remus twice for Harry Potter. His godson could wait a few more minutes.

Remus had calmed down since he'd figured out Sirius was staying. Either that or his blood loss had taken its toll and he was too weak to speak. Sophious took Remus's face gently into her hands again, and closed her eyes. A warm green light suddenly emitted from her palms, and Remus gave a contended sigh.

Kalika and Lobo returned, and Kalika went to help Blaze with the puncture wound. The fresh towels she had would be helpful. Lobo handed Sophious a vial of dark red liquid and silent gratitude passed between the two pack members. She tilted Remus's head back gently, then brought the potion to his lips. Remus drank the fluid obediently, mustering his strength to squeeze Sirius's hand. "Go to him. I'll be fine. Just don't go alone. You have my scent on you, and they're still thirsty."

Sirius nodded, bringing Remus's bruised and cut hand to his mouth and planted a kiss on it. "I'll be back, Moony. I promise." He meant it this time. Nothing would keep him from his mate.

"He's asleep, and the bleeding has stopped. He'll be weak for a few days from blood loss, but other than that he should be fine." Sophious whispered, stroking Remus's hair again.

He kissed Remus on the forehead. "Blaze?"

"I'll come with you." He took a moment to wipe a bit of blood from Kalika's face. "You'll be alright?"

"Go baby-sit Remus's Puppy."

"Hey!" 

\-----

The door to Remus's flat opened slowly. Sirius had expected Harry to be in bed, but instead he was up, writing a letter. "Harry?"

"Sirius!" He let the parchment roll shut. "Remus said you weren't staying here."

"I'm not." Sirius could see it too. A slight discoloration, an almost healed mark. "Those Muggles hit you!"

Harry touched his face. "How can you people tell? It's been almost a month. I can't even see it anymore."

"You heal slowly, and you're so pale." Sirius stepped closer, and a smile slowly appeared on his lips. "Which is why you have a hickey."

Harry's eyes went wide, and his hand clamped over it. "I can explain!"

"At least one of us is having a good summer." Sirius pushed Remus from his mind for a moment, intent on teasing Harry. "So... what's her name?"

Harry sighed. "If only it were that easy."

"Easy?"

"It's not from a girl." Harry looked Sirius in the eye. "It's from Draco Malfoy."


	9. Cure For The Itch

"Malfoy?" Sirius stammered the name. "That blond boy you hate is giving you hickeys?"

Harry was the color of a ripe tomato. "I don't... hate him anymore. He's..."

"A good kisser?" Sirius dead panned. 'I'm in shock. This is just too much.'

Harry nodded. "Sirius, don't be mad. I was just... alone, I guess, and we'd been fighting for so long, and it seemed like such a good idea at the time-"

"Harry, it's okay." (I think) "Is this why those Muggles threw you out?"

"Not exactly." Harry sighed. "It's all Ron's fault!"

"Ron? Harry, you know McGonagall has this thing about orgies in the Common Room. She tends to hand you over to Filch."

"It's not like that! Ron and Percy got their letters mixed up, so Pig brought me Penelope's letter by mistake." Harry had calmed down a little. "Uncle Vernon intercepted it and... it turns out Percy's a kinky bastard."

"Weasleys usually are."

Harry did his best to ignore that comment. "He wouldn't believe all that weird bondage stuff was someone else, and took a swing at me. After they locked me in and went to bed, I called the Knight Bus."

"And they took you to Malfoy Manor?" This was getting stranger and stranger.

"No, they took me to Hogwarts. Draco showed up later. Lucius and Narcissa left him behind. They've gone to join Voldemort." Harry rubbed at his scar. "I figured... I need someone to talk to. I could tell Dumbledore I was a she-male hooker and he wouldn't bat an eye, but you're the only family I have left. I need to know if you're going to hate me too."

"For making out with a Malfoy?"

"Because I'm..." Harry trailed off. "Don't pretend the wizarding world is more accepting than the Muggle one, I know it isn't."

"You don't know." Sirius realized it all of a sudden. "How could you know? It's not like we broadcast it."

"Broadcast what?"

"Harry..." He hadn't planned on coming out tonight, but them again, neither had Harry. "Why do you think Dumbledore sent you here?"

"Because you were supposed to be staying here?" Growing up locked under the stairs, Harry tended to miss out on many nuances of conversation.

"Yes, but why?" Sirius was afraid he was going to have to draw Harry a picture.

"Because you're his best friend?"

"Try again."

Harry thought on it. He was smart. He could figure this out. "Everyone else thinks you're a crazed killer?"

Instead of drawing a picture, he picked one up of the floor. Remus must have dropped it. It was the two of them, around age seventeen, curled up together in a chair. "Your father took it."

"Oh." Harry stared for a moment, and it finally dawned on him. "OH!" ----- Remus sighed in his sleep, as Sophious tucked him into the guest bed. She smoothed the comforter and stroked his hair. "He'll be fine now. Thank you for helping here, Lobo."

"No problem." He yawned. "I'll be in the bedroom. I'm exhausted. We'll have a pack meeting tomorrow to plot revenge on that bloodsucker."

"Goodnight, Lobo." She gave him a quick smile. "I'll be in bed soon. I just want to make sure that potion was strong enough."

"Night, Kali." He tried to muster up enough energy to get to bed. "Keep Blaze outta trouble 'til I get up."

"Just get to bed already." Kalika playfully punched Lobo's shoulder.

He flashed another smile at them before leaving the room. As soon as he was gone, Sophious's smile faded and she turned her solemn gaze to Remus.

"He'll be okay, right?" Kalika asked softly, sitting on the bed beside her friend.

"Yes. He needs a few days to rest, and regain his blood count. Azimodeus took a lot out of him." She sighed.

Kalika studied her for a moment. "Something's the matter. You miss him, don't you?"

"No, I don't miss HIM." She snapped.

"No, Sophie. I mean your boy. You miss him, I know you do." She rested a comforting hand on Sophious' shoulder.

She sighed again, looking at the floor. "His fifteenth birthday is in a few days."

"I'm sorry." There was really nothing else to say.

Threw was a long period of silence, and then Sophious leaned down and kissed Remus' forehead. "Sleep well, Remus."

Then the two female wolves left the room, without another word. ----- "You.. and he.." Harry accepted a glass of water. "Nobody ever tells me anything!"

"It's not the kind of thing that comes up in letters. 'Dear Harry, How's school? By the way, your ex-DADA professor and I are life mates.' How was I supposed to know you would end up shagging a Malfoy."

"It's not something I planned." Harry drained half the glass. "I mean, he's beautiful, always has been. We wasted a long time hating each other."

"Are you sure he's telling the truth about his parents? Maybe this is all some evil plot to get you under Voldemort's thumb."

"Sure, Sirius." Harry laughed. "Voldemort told Draco to seduce me and gain my trust, and when the time is right they're going to come through the Marauder's tunnels and kill me."

"Who's killing who?" Blaze's voice came from the doorway.

"Who's that?" Harry asked, a sly smirk growing on his face.

"Shut-" Then Sirius realized he had forgotten about Blaze being there, and Remus...

"Look, we have to get going. It's late, and my mate is calling me to bed. We should check on Remus too." Blaze trailed off and stared at Harry for a moment. "Wait a second. You're Harry Potter!"

Harry, used to the reaction people first had when they saw him, turned to Sirius. "What's wrong with Remus?"

"Oh...Merlin." Sirius turned red. "I...forgot to tell you."

"Sure, Sirius. Nice going. Make an arse of yourself in front of the Boy Who Lived." Blaze just shook his head. "Remus was attacked. My mate and I found him being bitten by a master in the park. We chased off his childre but he was harder to get rid off. Luckily, my Kalika always wears a golden cross."

Harry was beginning to get used to being in shock, so he just repeated himself. "Who are you?"

"The Boy Who Lived wants to know who I am." His eyes lit up in delight. "They call me Blaze. I'm in the same pack as your friend Remus."

"Pack?" Harry looked like all this information was going to make him have a breakdown.

"Yes, a werewolf pack. You did know Remus is a werewolf, right?" Harry nodded. "Oh, good. Wait, doesn't that bother you?" Blaze looked surprised and pleased.

"I was raised by Muggles and kept in a cupboard under the stairs. I'm sort of unflappable."

"Unbelievable. Who would do such a thing to the Boy Who-"

"Please, just call me Harry." He hated the hero worship.

"I'm sorry... It's just... You carry such a high honor..." Blaze trailed off, then cleared his throat to regain him composure. "Well, we'd better get back to Lobo's. I'm sure Kali is worried about us..."

Sirius nodded. "Um, can we not mention this to Remus?" ----- Remus woke up a couple days later, and instantly his hand went to his throat. Instead of a gaping hole, he felt only smooth skin and a sensitive but healing scar. He shuddered at the memory of the attack, vampires surrounding him, beating him... then Azimodeus biting him...

He was about to sit up when he felt a warm, large lump beside him. He rolled over, already knowing who it was. "Paddy." His voice was a hoarse whisper.

Sirius opened his eyes and sleepily smiled at him. "Morning, Moony."

There was a moment when neither man spoke, just looked into each other's eyes, deep blue getting lost in amber... the full moon just days away now.

"I'm sorry." They both spoke simultaneously.

There was a long pause. Remus cleared his throat, and croaked, "Water."

Sirius nodded, then rolled over and picked up the glass of water Sophious had left him. He helped lift the drink to his mate's lips and watched him greedily swallow the last drop. "Thank you," he gasped, handing the empty glass back to Sirius.

"Anytime," Sirius wiped the stray trail of water from Remus's face.

Their eyes locked again, and Sirius broke their gaze and looked down. "I'm sorry I forgot to say good bye."

Remus stroked a lose strand of dark hair behind his lover's ear. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you came back. If I knew it was Harry-"

"This entire thing is my fault," Sirius spoke quickly. "I'm sorry... I should have said something or left a note or owled you... I don't know what I was thinking... I wasn't thinking... ever since I'd left Azkaban... it's all been fuzzy... my memory has been shot to hell... and all I could think about was-"

"All you could think about was that Harry was in trouble, and he needed you." Remus finished. "I know that now, Siri. I'm sorry... about the way I acted... it's just... last time..." His voice trailed off, but before Sirius could respond he put a finger to his lips. "Let me finish... Sirius, I thought that this time things would be different. I thought that we had a future together, starting that next morning. But when I woke up, you were gone. And with you went our future together. I didn't know why you'd left, but I knew it couldn't have been Lily and James again. And I was hurt, and angry. You're my mate... and you just left me." Remus's eyes were watery, but his voice didn't crack. He continued. "But Harry told me everything, Siri. And now I understand why you left so quickly. When that vamp bit me, I thought I was going to die. And the last thing I saw was you."

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered, and buried his face into Remus's shoulder. "I'm such an idiot."

"That's true." Remus chuckled, stroking Sirius's long, black hair. "But we forgive you." Sirius looked up at him and smiled.

Suddenly the door burst open. "Ah, he's up! Hey Remus, you never told me you had such famous friends! The Boy Who Lived and an escapee from Azkab-" Lobo froze when he saw the two mates snuggled close under the covers. "Um... erm... is now a bad time to talk? I'll just... come back... later..." He turned a bright shade of red, then spun quickly on his heels and raced out of the room.

Remus and Sirius just watched the door slam shut, then burst into fits of laughter.

\-----

By the next morning Remus was feeling much better, and wanted to return to his home.

"You sure we can't talk you into staying here with us?" Sophious offered. "We don't mind. We prefer keeping pack members close by. We're family."

"Thank you, but you've already been beyond kind to me, and I don't want to impose any longer," Remus said.

"All right," Sophious gave in. "But at least let us go with you and help fix up your home. It needs... a woman's touch."

Remus blushed.

That afternoon they went over to Remus's flat, and Sophious and Kalika assigned everyone their jobs. "Okay," Sophious hit her palm with her fist. "Kalika and I will clean up the kitchen; Sirius and Remus get the hall and living room; Lobo, you and Blaze clean the bedroom."

Lobo groaned. "I hate cleaning... you so owe me." He flashed a mischievous grin at Remus. "I guess she's keeping an eye on you and Sirius, otherwise she'd have you two in the bedroom."

He dashed off, dodging the pillow Sirius had thrown in his direction. Blaze shook his head and followed.

"What would you like me to do?" Harry asked Sophious.

"Oh, sweetie, you don't have to do a thing," She attempted to smooth his eternally wild hair. "Just sit back and relax."

Harry stared at her, in shock. Then he remembered that he was far, far away from the Dursleys, and he smiled. "Thank you, but I think I'll help anyway. Sirius can barely take take care of himself, never mind a house."

Remus laughed. "How true."

"Hey!" Sirius yelped, but grinned anyway.

"Alright, if you insist. But you better not make him do everything or I'll call the dog pound Mr. Black." With that, she headed into the kitchen after Kalika.

A hour later they had made a lot of progress, and the flat looked more like home than ever before. Harry was scrubbing **something** off the floor when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" He said, standing up and heading over to the door.

He opened it, and to his surprise Draco Malfoy stood there, carrying a small suitcase.

He smiled at Harry. "I've come for my birthday present."


	10. Points of Authority

"I've come for my birthday present." Draco stepped inside, set down his suitcase, grabbed Harry and proceeded to get reacquainted with his tonsils.

"Paddy, forget to tell me something else?" The last time he'd seen Harry and Draco, they'd have rather killed each other than kissed.

"Maybe." Sirius considered getting out a stopwatch, but then he remembered he didn't have one anymore. "Harry, hate to interrupt, but it might be a good idea to take a breath soon."

They slowly pulled apart and Draco surveyed the room. His hand quickly went for his wand. "I should have known, Lupin, that you'd be harboring a murderer. Harry-"

"It's okay." Harry grabbed Draco's wrist, then quickly let go. "Sorry. But really, it's okay. Sirius is innocent."

"Yeah, and I'm a Hufflepuff!"

"He's my godfather, you nitwit. You know, the one I went to go stay with?" Draco had a protective streak that rivaled Lobo's.

The door from the kitchen opened. "I have lemonade for all werewolves, animagi, and legends..." Sophious stopped dead when she saw who was at the door. The tray dropped from her fingers. "Draco?"

"Mum?" Draco sounded so confused.

Her hands both clasped over her mouth. Everyone else in the room stared back and forth between them. Sophious suddenly rushed over and wrapped her arms around Draco. He stiffened noticeably.

"You're not my mother." He pushed her away. "Narcissa hasn't hugged me since I was six. Who the hell are you?"

Sophious looked crushed. "You... of course... you wouldn't... remember." She looked down, eyes watering. "Excuse me." She ran from the room, almost bowling over Lobo as he came in to investigate the crash.

Lobo glared at everyone in the room, and Sirius was quick to defend himself.. "Lobo, I swear it wasn't me this time!"

Lobo didn't say anything. He did a double-take when he saw Draco, then as if he understood, ran after Sophious.

There was a long period of silence as all present tried to figure out what had just happened. Draco looked especially confused. "Who was that woman? And why does she look just like Mum?" ---- Lobo didn't bother knocking on the door to Remus's bedroom. He stepped in quickly and closed the door behind him. "Sophie?" He stepped over to the sobbing form on the bed.

"Just leave me alone!" She didn't look up.

He sat down close to her and stroked her hair gently. "It's him, isn't it? It's been years, but you knew."

Sophious sobbed and nodded. She managed to sit up and nestled beside Lobo, wrapping her arms around him. "I knew... he wouldn't... remember me." She rested her head against his chest. "But I didn't expect it to hurt this much."

Lobo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. "You'll just have to tell him, luv. He was too young to remember anything about that night."

"Damn her." Sophious snarled, an unnatural tone for her. "She wanted him, and she got him. She always hated me. I had healing powers, and I had His name. I had Draco, everything she couldn't have, and she took everything but the power in my veins away."

"You sister was jealous and vindictive, not a good combination. But you can make Draco understand, you can tell him what happened fourteen years ago, and what He did to you." His blood boiled at the thought that Sophious was crying over HIM yet again.

She snuggled close to Lobo. "Lucius used me to gain an heir, then fucked around with my barren younger sister. I don't want Draco to think he wasn't loved, that he wasn't wanted. Because I love him more than anything in this world. But I'm only a stranger to him." She sniffled then sighed. "And how can I prove any of this to him, Lobo? He'll never believe me."

Lobo thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "That picture, the one you showed me, do you still have it?"

Sophious looked up at him. "Of course... It's my most prized posses-" Realization dawned and a smile lit up on her tear stained face. "Lobo, you're a genius!"

She pounced on him, her arms around his neck as their lips met. Their kiss was passionate but brief, and when they released each other she pulled a tattered photo from her pocket and gazed at it lovingly. "He'll have to believe me when he sees this." ----- Harry and Draco had retreated to the pantry. "She's a werewolf?"

"Yeah." Harry was playing with Draco's hair. He was always amazed at how well behaved it was. "Nice lady. She's trying to help Professor Lupin."

"You're just trying to distract me so I won't kill your godfather." He playfully swatted Harry's hand away. "She looks just like Mum, 'cept for the hug thing. Otherwise, it was dead on."

"I don't get it either. Hey, why aren't you terrified?"

"I'm not alone, am I?"

"Oh."

The door slowly opened. "Boys?" It was Sophious.

"Who are you?" Despite looking totally relaxed leaning against Harry, suspicion was bright in Draco's eyes.

"You had it right the first time." She gave him the photo. "Take a close look, Draco."

He studied the picture for a moment then looked back up at her. "It's my father and my Mum and me. There's no reason for me to believe this is you."

Sophious flinched, but her eyes retained their determination. "Look closer. Does Narcissa have a beauty mark on her face? Or green eyes?"

Draco stared. "Harry, take a look."

Harry looked at the picture, then at Sophious. "It is you."

A smile spread across her face and she nodded. Draco kept looking from the photography to her again. "But... but how?"

"For fourteen years, I've waited for this moment. I want you to know the truth, Draco, the entire truth." Sophious rolled up her sleeve and held up her scared arm. "The picture you're holding was taken only a few hours before my life changed forever. It was the last day I ever held you, kissed you, protected you..." Her voice trailed off and she briefly closed her eyes before continuing. "Your father knew that I always liked having a picnic. It was one of the few things we agreed on in the beginning. On that day, when he suggested it, I didn't think twice. We spent the entire day just relaxing and spending time with you, and before I knew it night had fallen."

Her voice was weaving an eerie spell and you could almost picture the scene she was describing. "I remember watching the the sunset and then the full moon rising. You had fallen asleep in my arms, and I told Lucius we should get back home and put you in bed, but he wanted to wait a few more minutes. Then, I heard growling, and a wolf came from the bushes... All I thought about in that moment was protecting you, Draco, keeping that monster away from my baby." Tears poured down her face, but she moved on. "It grabbed my arm here, and it sank it's fangs through to the bone. But I wouldn't let it get to you, and by then, Lucius drew his wand and killed it. I remember you'd woken up and were crying. Then I passed out. I woke up a few days later in the hospital, and they told me I had tested positive for lycanthropy."

Draco had a look of intense concentration on his face. "Are you..." He looked at Harry. "The woman in my dreams."

"Woman?" Sophious said the word softly, as if it was too good to be true. "What... what happened in your dreams, Draco?"

Still suspicious, he was hesitant to speak. "Someone I talked to."

'It was real. All this time, I thought I was crazy.' She spoke quickly. "I would never hurt you, Draco. Not even my wolf would harm you.... All these years she's cried for her pup. I know this is hard for you, but please, Draco. You have to trust me."

"I don't trust anyone." He looked at Harry's mop of messy hair. "Not even the Boy Who Kisses Well."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "You're as stubborn as Him, that's for sure. When you're ready to talk, I'll explain everything. I know that this is sudden to you. I've had fourteen years to think about that day so.... take your time." Sophious gave him one last longing, loving look, and left the two boys alone again.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know." Harry admitted. "You didn't tell me a lot about your dreams. I always just figured you were longing for a real mother figure. We both want one, but yours might be real."

"I'm not used to people touching me just to be friendly. Everyone one else, including you, either wants to hurt me or fuck me."

"Well, not yet, but we'll get around to it." Harry licked at Draco's neck. "We're locked in a pantry, alone. No Dumbledore to walk in on us."

"You just haven't slept since you left Hogwarts. You're using me for- " Draco let himself be kissed. "Oh, screw it. Strip, Potter." He smirked as Harry took of his robes. ----- The pack remained at Remus's flat until after supper. Sophious and Kalika whipped up something extra special for Draco, a beautiful birthday cake with fifteen magical candles in it that changed colors every few seconds.

Finally, though, they left although Sophious was more reluctant than usual. "The full moon is in two days, Remus." Lobo reminded him as they headed for the front door. "We always meet and go through the transformation together... Somehow it makes it somewhat bearable. Come over anytime, you're always welcome to the den, and of course that means your mate is welcome too, if you want." He flashed a grin at Sirius. "Now that we're not trying to tear out each other's throats. Well, goodnight."

He put an arm around Sophious and lead her out the door behind Blaze and Kalika. She looked back one last time, then Lobo closed the door.

Remus sighed. "What a night."

"You're telling me." Sirius glanced towards the couch, where Draco and Harry were asleep, tangled up in each other. "Didn't see that coming."

"I never imagined it either." Remus walked over and stood by Sirius. "Enemies turned lovers. The stuff sleazy romances are made of."

Sirius chewed on his lip, deep in thought. "Think they'll be alright?"

"You worry too much, Paddy." Remus slid his arm around his mate, and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "They'll be fine for tonight. Come to bed."

"To make a 'sleazy novel' of our own?" Sirius grinned, following his lover into the bedroom. "The ex-con and the werewolf... Think anyone would read it?"

Remus closed the door and pounced on him, knocking him onto the bed, and pinning Sirius beneath his body. "You talk too much, Sirius Black. Less talk, more action." His eyes shone, the wolf once again hungry for it's mate.

Sirius gazed up at his lover. "See? You're even talking like someone in-" Remus cut him off with a passionate kiss that only grew hotter. By the time he released Sirius he could only whimper incoherently.

For a moment Remus stopped, just stroking Sirius's hair while their eyes locked. Amber getting lost in sapphire blue, then Remus leaning down and whispering in his mate's ear. "This time, I'm not leaving you with the energy to leave in the morning." That said, he licked Sirius's ear then trailed a line of kisses down his throat.

He moaned as Remus's hands roamed his body, sliding underneath his shirt and quickly removing it. Sirius arched up against him as he sucked at quickly hardening nipples, licking and nipping at the smooth, muscled flesh as he traveled down his body.

Before Sirius knew it, Remus had tossed the remainder of his clothes across the room, and hot, moist breath enclosed around his cock. He shuddered as waves of pleasure crashed over him, and Remus only sucked harder and ran his tongue repeatedly along his shaft. So close...

When Remus pulled away, Sirius released a tortured noise. Their lips met again, and Sirius returned the kiss eagerly, pressing his body up against him.

Remus ran his hand down Sirius's chest, then lower still. He curled his fingers around Sirius's erection and slowly jacked him off. Sirius squirmed and thrust into his palm, releasing a low and needy groan. Just as he was about to come, Remus once again stopped, and this time Sirius cried out in frustration. "Damn it, Moony!"

Remus licked his ear and murmured again, "Do you need me, lover?" He added a third finger, pushing his digits in and out slowly, making sure not to push Sirius over the edge just yet. "Do you need me like I need you? Like food, water, air..."

"Please... yes... oh Moony..." He whimpered pitifully, almost as if he was in terrible pain.

He licked Sirius's ear again, then removed his fingers from their tight, warm home. Sirius nearly sobbed, aching to come. "Moony..." Remus had never heard him so desperate.

"Undress me." Remus rolled off Sirius and let his mate follow through with his command.

He fumbled with the buttons, but managed to finally remove Remus's shirt. Sirius moved his hands down to unfasten Remus's pants, but he grabbed his hands and moved them to his hips. Sirius looked up at him, a pleading, hungry look in his eyes. "Slowly, Paddy." Remus could be really evil when he wanted.

Slowly as he could, Sirius removed Remus's pants, his hands trembling with the rest of his highly aroused body. Remus reached down as Sirius removed his boxers and stroked his mate's long, dark hair. "suck me off, my love." He growled lustfully.

Sirius took Remus's length into his mouth, swirling his tongue over the sensitive head and around the beginning of his shaft. Remus moaned in approval, his fingers tangling in Sirius's beautiful hair. Sirius took a few more inches in his mouth, licking and sucking harder. He fondled Remus's balls as he quickened his pace, his tongue circling and darting all over his mate's hardened member. Remus moaned in pleasure, his fingers lost in gorgeous black strands as his lover continued to suck his cock. If he didn't pull out soon, it would all be over.

With great reluctance, Remus tenderly pushed Sirius off his erection. He cupped Sirius's chin and brought him up again to capture him into another loving kiss. Sirius managed to give his cock one last lick before going up to him, and an erotic shiver raced through Remus's body. Once Remus pressed his lips against Sirius's, their tongues met, and both mates moaned into each other's mouths.

When they pulled away, Remus stroked Sirius's hair again. "Ready, Paddy?"

"Yes... please, Moony..." That puppy-eyed look that Remus could never refuse.

Remus reached over and got the lube off the nightstand, and positioned himself between Sirius's spread legs. He leaned in and gave him a quick lick, and smiled at his lover's throaty groan. He lowered his head and swiped his tongue over Sirius's puckered opening, and grasped onto his hips to keep him still. He slid his tongue briefly in his mate's ass, loving the constant moans and gasps coming from above him. He pulled back and coated his fingers with a glob of lube, then slipped a finger into Sirius again. He kept it slow, adding another finger gently, careful not to set his aroused lover off just yet. Sirius was constantly trembling now, the urge to orgasm almost maddening. If he didn't get off soon, he'd go insane for sure.

"Moony..." Remus looked up at his pleading lover. Were those tears? "Please..."

"Shh baby..." He removed his fingers and used the remaining lube on his own member. "You want it like this?"

"I don't care!" Sirius yelped impatiently. "Please... just... oh yes..." He hissed as Remus entered him.

Slowly at first, Remus thrust in and out of Sirius, his hands finding their place on his hips. It felt so good to be surrounded by Sirius again. Moony had missed his mate beyond words, beyond emotions. And now he was here again... tight, hot, and all his. He quickened his pace, one of his hands venturing to Sirius's throbbing penis and closing around it. He stroked the warm, hard muscle in time with his own thrusts. A few moments later Sirius finally caved in, crying out Remus's name as he released a long stream of pent-up arousal. Only seconds later Remus came, Sirius's orgasm causing a chain reaction that knocked him senseless.

Exhausted, both men somehow found the strength to get under the covers after regain their senses. Sirius nestled close to Remus, resting his head on his lover's chest. He idly traced Remus's scar, and he in turn went back to stroking Sirius's hair. Neither of them spoke- there was no need to.

A few moments later they drifted to sleep, Remus clinging tightly to his beloved mate.

The next morning, Remus opened one eye, and stared at the mop of black hair on the pillow next to him. 'Good.'


	11. Papercut, part one

Sirius slept past noon the next day. Remus laid beside him, watching him sleep. It used to be one of his favorite past times, adoring his mate while he slumbered. He always looked so peaceful, surrounded by a child-like innocence. He stroked his long, black hair, smoothing it with his hand.

Sirius sighed in his sleep, then a few moments later his eyelids slowly opened, blinking, bright blue. He smiled at Remus's expression, a combination of love and possessiveness. "'Morning, Moony." His voice was groggy.

"'Morning, Paddy." He leaned in for a kiss.

When they released each other, Sirius searched the room for a clock. "What time is it?"

"Twelve-thirty." Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius and drew him closer.

"Twelve... thirty!" Sirius's expression of surprise was just too cute. Remus kissed his forehead. "Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"You're so adorable when you sleep... like a puppy." Remus smiled. "I figured you needed your rest after last night."

Sirius blushed, and shifted in the bed at the memory. "You're so mean sometimes, you know that?"

Remus's grin only grew. "You can be, too, lover." He brushed a stray hair behind Sirius's ear. "Sleep well?"

"You just don't quit, do you?" Sirius smiled, nestling closer against him. "Yes, I slept well. You exhausted me as promised. Moony was awake last night, wasn't he?"

"Tomorrow's the full moon... which reminds me... I wonder when Lobo wanted to meet."

"He never said... but he did say we could go over anytime. Maybe we can drop by later." Sirius gently pulled away and sat up. "We've got to get dressed. Pronglet's probably wondering if we died in our sleep."

"I bet you a sickle that Pronglet doesn't even notice we're not around." Remus got up and searched for his pants. "He's probably playing with the dragon."

Said Pronglet was found on the couch, making out with the aforementioned dragon. "Harry?"

They quickly jumped apart. "Um... yes?"

Sirius laughed. "I was wondering if you boys had plans today."

"Actually," Draco spoke in a tone that made Harry nervous. "I was going to-"

**BANG!** **BANG!** A frantic knock interrupted him.

"Expecting someone?" Remus asked his two former students, who both shook their heads quickly.

He went over and opened the door a crack, peering out. "Lobo?"

"Remus, we've gotta talk. Now." A note of panic slipped in his voice.

"Come in." Remus opened the door, and Lobo quickly stepped in.

He'd never seen Lobo so nervous, so out-of-character from the usual sly, laid back Alpha he knew. Lobo was pacing now, muttering, "I can't believe... never thought... so soon... how could I be so stupid?!" He was making Remus dizzy.

"Lobo... what's wrong?" Remus asked, using his professor-to-student voice.

Lobo stopped, turned to him. A meek smile on his face, he pointed to the calendar on the wall. "Not just a full moon tomorrow night, Remus. Why didn't I plan for this?" He had resumed his pacing, but continued on. "It only happens once in awhile... but... should have planned..."

"Please calm down Lobo!" Remus stopped him, putting his hands on Lobo's shoulders and looking him sharply in the eye. "Tell me what's wrong, and just calm down."

"Tomorrow night isn't just a full moon." Lobo repeated, fear now reflected in his eyes. "It's also a lunar eclipse."

"A... lunar eclipse?" Remus had experienced the transformation through multiple eclipses and wondered what made this one different.

"Yes... I need your help," Lobo had calmed, but not by much. "It's Blaze... he's a young wolf..."

"Blaze?"

"He was bitten only two years ago, and he is always restraining and hiding his wolf... he won't be able to control the wolf tomorrow at all." Lobo sagged onto the couch beside Sirius. "We'll have to keep him under control together, as a pack. Otherwise, he might go after someone. It would ruin him, ruin everything."

"Won't... wolfsbane help?" Harry chirped in.

"If only it would." Lobo sighed. "The wolfsbane potion only works at night... even with the darkness of a full lunar eclipse, his wolf's circadian rhythm would be in synch with the day light... it wouldn't work at all until that night."

"What's a circle-cadmium?" Harry butchered the pronunciation.

Lobo smiled sadly. "Circadian rhythm is the mind's cycle of day and night. It's what makes us naturally awake during the day, and sleep at night. Wolfsbane was designed to keep the wolf and human in harmony during the night of a full moon, so it's useless during a a lunar eclipse, when the transformation occurs during the day."

"Can't you just lock him up?" Harry swatted Draco. "What? It's a good idea!"

Lobo glared at Draco. "That's exactly something Lucius Malfoy's son would say."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "No, that's what any sensible wizard would say! If I was a proper Malfoy, I wouldn't be sitting here with a couple of werewolves while Harry Potter's trying to get his hand up my shirt!"

Remus and Sirius exchanged a worried look, wondering how badly this would erupt. Poor Harry was trapped between a short-fused werewolf and one pissed off Slytherin.

"You ever been caged like an animal, Draco?" Lobo growled. "You know what it's like?"

"Lobo-" Harry tried to cut him off, but it was too late.

"Yes."

Instead of the expected argument, a sarcastic remark, or any response evoking fits of yelling-

There was silence.

Lobo's look of anger faded away, and in its place came a pensive, understanding look. Sirius and Remus both wore shocked expressions.

Finally, Lobo broke the silence. "He... he did it, didn't he?" He asked softly. "He locked you up like..." His voice trailed, unsure if he should continue.

"Always wondered why the damned thing was down there." Draco gave a bitter laugh. "No one ever came to rescue me."

"That... bastard... how could he do that to you- you're his own son!" Lobo snarled, fists clenched. "If I ever met that fucker, he'd be ripped apart! How could he do that to you too?"

"Because he's Lucius Malfoy." Harry was gripping Draco's hand tightly. "He thinks he'll get away with it."

"Merlin..." Sirius finally spoke. "I never had any idea..."

"Sometimes men are more monstrous than those labeled 'monsters'." Remus said softly. "But I guess all of us here know that."

"He's not getting away with what he's done. Little by little the things he's doing are adding up, to a fortune he can't pay back with money." Lobo had his old determination back. "I'll make sure that one day he gets everything he deserves. In the meantime... I don't think we should mention this to Sophie... she is very upset right now, finding you and the eclipse happening has her stressed out as is... she really loves you, Draco. I know it's a lot to swallow, but... if you ever need anything, let us know... Sophie wanted you to know that you've got the Pack's protection from now on... He won't hurt you ever again."

"Yeah, right."

"Now you sound like your mother." Lobo stood up, turned to Remus. "We're making preparations for the eclipse tonight. It's nothing personal, really... but it's best if Sirius and the boys stay here."

Remus nodded. "I understand. I'll get my things, then we can go."

"Moony..." Sirius stood up, almost trying to protest.

"Come help, Padfoot." They headed together for the bedroom.

As soon as the door closed, Sirius spoke his opinion. "Please let me go, Moony. I'm worried- what if Blaze attacks you?"

"I'll be fine, Paddy. You and I both know the only real threat to Moony is himself." Remus pulled some clothes out of his drawers. "It's only for one night, and a day. What could happen?"

"Famous last words."

"You're worrying too much, Paddy." He wrapped his arms around him and kissed his forehead. "It'll be okay. You can keep Harry and Draco off each other, it'll keep you busy tonight."

Sirius sighed, and rested his forehead on Remus's shoulder. "Promise me you'll be alright, Moony. Promise me that if it gets bad, you'll run away."

"Siri..." He stroked Sirius's hair soothingly. "I'll see you in the morning, after the full moon. I promise." He cupped his chin, and lifted Sirius's gaze to meet his. "You'll be here when I get back, right Paddy?" He smiled though, and Sirius smiled back.

"Of course. We still have... more 'catching up' to do." He leaned in for a kiss.

Remus obliged, then after awhile they pulled apart. "Better get going, or it'll be a few hours until I leave this room..." Sirius grinned at that remark.

Remus put his gathered belongings into a duffel bag. He gave Sirius another kiss, then picked up his bag and headed out of the room. Sirius followed him, momentarily chewing his lip.

"Ready?" Lobo asked, already standing by the door.

Remus nodded. "See you later, Paddy. Good bye Harry... Draco."

He left with Lobo, the door slowly closing behind them.

No matter what Remus said, Sirius couldn't shake away the feeling he had. Somehow he just **knew** that his mate was in danger.

Eclipses were never a good omen.


	12. Papercut, part two

"Nice night, huh?" Lobo said as he and Remus were walking toward the den.

"Yeah." Remus didn't feel much like talking, the wheels in his head already turning, formulating a plan.

"I like nights like these... right before the full moon, clear and starry sky... not too cold or too hot... your senses at their peak." He looked up above the tree line. "So... how long have you been with Sirius?"

The question caught Remus off guard. Normally, Lobo avoided mentioning his relationship with Sirius, just walking in on the two men hugging caused him to blush and leave the room sputtering. "We've known each other for over twenty years now... and we've been together for a fraction of that time." Remus pulled his jacket tighter around him. "He spent thirteen years in Azkaban, and we only dated for a few years before that."

"Amazing..." Lobo had stopped, and turned to him. "You and Sirius share a special bond... your bond is strong even after years apart."

Remus nodded, not sure really how to respond. He looked down at the pavement. "We're very close..."

"It's okay, Remus." Lobo smiled, then looked away, embarrassed. "Sorry I've been... erm, acting the way I have when you two are close... I mean, not that I've been watching! Er... rather... it's just that..." He looked down, sighed. "I'm actually... not jealous, but... what you and he share... I'd like to have that, someday."

Remus suddenly understood what Lobo was talking about. "You mean... with Sophious?"

Lobo nodded. "But... she's already bonded to... Lucius." He spat the name distastefully.

"But surely a bond between her and... Him... couldn't be that strong, right?" Remus asked.

"That's the one thing I never understood... he kept her locked in eternal darkness, only visiting her to-" He paused, gritting his teeth. "-relieve his lust or his stress... And yet... even when she hated him so, the wolf bonded to him. There are some things she never told me, some things too horrible to speak aloud." He looked down again. "To think... He actually used that same cage to do Merlin- knows-what to His own son... His OWN SON!" He kicked a stone that was in the path, and it scuttled off into the shadows. He laughed, a hollow sound, then turned to Remus. "Is it possible to hate someone so much that you've never even met before in your life?"

"Of course." Remus's amber eyes narrowed in memory. "For me, it's Voldemort."

"You're not alone there, trust me." They had begun walking again.

"I hate him too... all his Death Eaters, everything tainted by his evil... but especially Lucius Malfoy." He growled.

"And what, pray tell, is wrong with Lucius Malfoy?"

Lobo snarled. "You!"

Azimodeus stepped out of the shadows.

Remus went bone white. Absolute terror, in the remembrance of what this vampire had done to him. Lobo could smell his fear. "And what's an evil bloodsucker like you doing in a nice place like this? As if I already didn't know."

Azimodeus grinned, showing his bloody fangs. "So Wolfy, interested in another go? I hear some of your kind go in for that."

Remus took a step back, hand covering the healing bite on this throat. Lobo went into Alpha mode. 'Protect the pack.'

"Back off leech, if you'd like to keep your fangs."

Azimodeus ignored the remark. "So, I hear there's an eclipse coming up. I hope every one is at peace. I hear it can get... messy, otherwise."

"Why should you care? Bugger off, fledgling."

Azimodeus barely restrained himself and pasted on a smile. "Well, we'll have to finish this tomorrow, Lobo. Hope to see you too, Tasty." And then he was gone, in that way vampires had.

Lobo put his hand on Remus's shoulder. "They can smell fear, just as we can. You can't let them get to you. We need to be strong, to help Blaze."

Remus took a deep breath. He was sick of being weak, sick of having his heart (or throat) ripped out. "It won't happen again."

\-----

"How can you stand this?" Draco had faced tortures less painful than this... "What do you call this?"

"Monopoly." Harry moved his car three spaces, coming to rest next to Draco's top hat. "And trust me, Crucius is worse."

"I wish I could believe you."

"Harry, my boy, I think my term in Azkaban took less time than this. Can we speed it up a little?" He'd gotten this from Lily, he'd had to. "So... Draco... Why are you sleeping with my godson?"

Draco's hand tightened so hard around the dice his knuckles cracked. "I..."

"I mean, really. A Malfoy and a Potter. Stranger things have not happened."

Harry would have been beet read, but Draco's white knuckles were the only outward sign. "Do you have nightmares about locked doors?"

"Sometimes."

"Did you know they kept him locked under the stairs?" Draco rolled the dice. "They left me behind. Locked in that cage. The house elves let me out. My father left me, shut up like an animal. You've been caged, Mr. Black. So has Harry. Now, I probably wouldn't sleep with you just because you know how a key turning sounds but Harry... Harry's... a bruised angel. It's sort of attractive."

"Draco!" Harry looked embarrassed. "You make it sound like this is some grand love affair."

"It's alright, Harry." Sirius grinned. "I've said some pretty sappy things myself. So. We have why. Anyone want to tell me how?"

"It was an accident. Let's just leave it at that." Draco landed on Park Place with a smile. "Maybe this game isn't so bad after all."

Sirius eyed the two boys suspiciously. "There must be **something** that brought the two of you together. I remember many owls coming my way, bearing multiple obscenities about a certain blond Slytherin. Harry? You going to tell me?"

Harry blushed. "It was my fault, mostly. Apparently, I don't know how to say no."

"Did you drug him?" Sirius asked Draco quickly, remembering what Micheal had told him of the Muggle drug Ecstasy. "You know? Slide something into his drink and jump his bones?"

"No!" Draco looked offended. "I wouldn't do anything like that! I was trying to help him!"

"Help him with what?" Sirius was horrified to think of what need his godson had asked Malfoy to fulfill.

"Draco!" Harry hissed his name. "Shut up. He doesn't need to know about this."

"Yeah, it's so much better he believes I seduced you under the guise of dark magic." Draco just shook his head. "Embarrassed by me and what we did, Potter?"

"Come on, now, boys. It's not like you've done anything me and Moony haven't ..." Sirius grinned, but the mention of his mate made him miss him a little. He wondered what Remus would say. Probably try to put them at ease, but that wasn't his style.

Draco and Harry exchanged a look and Harry laughed a little. "I doubt that, Sirius."

Sirius wasn't one to quit easy. "If you don't tell me how you two got together, then I'm going to tell you how Moony and I got together." Perhaps that threat would make them talk.

"I don't think you'd understand." Harry landed on the go to jail space. "Damn. My luck just keeps getting worse."

"Did you two boys know that a werewolf's stamina is five hundred percent more than your average man?" Sirius nonchalantly moved his dog over a railroad. "He can go all night.... In fact, we did once. It was in 1979...."

"Sirius!" Harry sighed. "Fine, fine! I'll tell you some of it, okay?"

Draco spoke up. "Is that true? I mean, really?" Harry smacked him. "Yeah, I know. Mind out of gutter."

"Yes, it's true." Sirius grinned in memory. "But your back kills the next few days."

\-----

Remus was relieved to get to the den. He was exhausted from the upcoming moon and running into Azimodeus. As soon as they walked in the door, Sophious relayed the plan to them. "Blaze feels most comfortable with taking a sleeping draught. I can whip some up, and he'll have to take it right before the transformation tomorrow. The Muggle newspaper says that the eclipse will begin at noon and last for a few hours. As long as we keep his wolf away from non-wolves, everything will be okay, and the wolf will just fall asleep."

"I'm glad you found a solution." Lobo went over and patted Blaze on the shoulder. "Don't worry... I know it'll be okay... Sophious is very smart, I knew she'd be able to figure this out."

Blaze looked up from his hands, the first time Remus had ever seen him without his sunglasses. His eyes were amber now, just like the rest of the pack's. Only... somehow he seemed familiar to Remus, like he'd seen him before meeting the pack. The middle-aged man looked even older than usual, his hands shaking and his voice trembling as he spoke. "I hope this... works. The wolf... it's... it's..." Kalika wrapped her arms around his shaking form, pressing him close against her and whispering comforting things in his ear.

Lobo squeezed his shoulder. "You can make peace with the wolf, Blaze. You shouldn't fight it so much."

"If I don't... they'll find out, Lobo... and they can't find this out..." His voice cracked, and he looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Don't worry, love..." Kalika held him tighter, stroking his thinning hair softly. "We'll keep you in check. The wolf won't get loose. And you'll be too tired to do much of anything, anyway. Calm down, sweet heart."

"I'll start that potion, alright? Don't worry, Blaze." Sophious offered him a reassuring smile. "We'll take care of you. Haven't we always?"

Blaze managed to give a weak smile. "Yeah... but the wolf... I've never felt it so strong... and it's getting stronger..."

"You've got to be stronger than the wolf to make peace with it." Remus said calmly. "Just relax, trust the wolf, and the wolf will learn to trust you."

Blaze took in Remus's words, then slowly nodded. Something in Remus's voice calmed the young wolf, and Blaze seemed to relax. "You're right... thank you, Remus..."

Kalika smiled. "Why don't we go to bed, love? You need to rest now, get your mind off the eclipse..."

"You can use the master bedroom tonight. Last time you two shredded the mattress, and the one in there is pretty durable." Sophious playfully hit Lobo for that remark, but she didn't knock the smirk from his face.

"Good night, Lobo." Kalika said, helping her exhausted mate up from the couch. She led him upstairs. "Good night Sophious. 'Night, Remus."

They in turn exchanged their good nights, and watched the pair until they heard a door click shut upstairs.

Sophious suddenly turned to Lobo. "Alright, what happened?"

Lobo blinked. "What do you mean, Sophie?"

"Don't play innocent with me! I smell it on you! What were you thinking, going after Azimodeus when Remus was just bitten by him the other night?!" She crossed her arms over her chest, and waited for his response.

"I didn't go after that blood sucker! He came after us! Even ask Remus!"

She turned to Remus. "He came after you again?"

Remus nodded. "Lobo didn't provoke him. He came after us first."

Her look softened. "I'm sorry, Lobo. I'm just worried... between the eclipse, and Remus getting bitten, and finding my son... it's been a very stressful week." She rubbed her temples. "I'm going to bed. I'll start that potion in the morning. Play nice, boys." She kissed Lobo's cheek apologetically and gave him and Remus a quick hug. "I'll be up in the spare room... you two can share the guest room."

"But-" Lobo began, then he just nodded. "Good night, Sophie."

"Night boys." She left the room and headed upstairs, leaving Remus and Lobo alone.

"Well... I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." Lobo cleared his throat, a nervous habit.

"Thank you... for earlier... I don't know what got into me, but..." Remus trailed off.

"It's okay, Remus. You still have Azimodeus's mark on you. That's why you're afraid of him." Lobo explained. "He's a powerful vampire, even though I'd never tell him that to his face." They began to head upstairs.

As soon as they reached the guest room, Lobo closed the door behind them. "Could you smell it?" He asked softly.

Remus wondered what Lobo meant. Even though Moony was awake, he wasn't able to sense anything but fear the moment Azimodeus slid out of the shadows. "Smell what?"

"You remember what he said, right?" Lobo looked suddenly troubled. "He... defended Him."

Remus nodded. He was just too tired to talk, really, and Moony was beginning to crave his mate.

"Azimodeus... something is different... I could sense that he has a Dark Mark." Lobo sighed and sat down on the bed. "If he's really a Death Eater, he has new allies. Allies that can come here without having to worry about sunlight." He shuddered.

"Don't worry... next time we meet him, I'll be prepared." Remus vowed.

Lobo got up and went over to the dresser. He opened the drawer and sifted through it. "Here." He tossed a pair of pajamas to Remus.

"What? No leather?"

Lobo grinned. "Not **everything** I own is leather."

"I'm glad." Remus changed quickly.

"I hope you don't mind the... uh... arrangements, but... Sophie's wolf doesn't like men around right before the transformation." Lobo sighed. "We have a long day tomorrow."

"Yeah." Remus crawled under the covers. "Well... you coming?"

"Right. Well... uh..." Lobo was at a loss for words, which was a first.

Remus laughed gently. "Do I make you nervous, Lobo?"

He blushed. "No, no... it's just... I'm edgy about tomorrow." He stripped down to his boxers and slid under the covers, as if to prove his point.

"What is Blaze really afraid of?" The question had been nagging Remus all night.

"Well... you're part of the pack now, so I can tell you." Lobo faced him. "Blaze is his nickname, as you might have always known. His real name is Nigel Blazier, as in-"

"The Ministry Official!?" Remus gasped, his eyes wide. "No kidding! That's why he looked so familiar..."

Lobo nodded. "As you know, he's a high-ranking official. Good friends with that wanker Cornelius Fudge, too. But they don't know he's a werewolf, obviously. Blaze is afraid of them finding out his secret during every change. And tomorrow is his first eclipse... He's never been at ease with his wolf, and now the wolf has the upper hand. He won't be able to control the wolf at all tomorrow. That's why we need you here, Remus. Kalika, Sophious, and I can't keep a pent-up wolf under control by ourselves. I'm glad you've given up a night with Sirius to come help us... it means a lot to me."

"No problem." And he meant it. Even though he longed to be with Sirius, the pack had now become a part of his life. They were his family now. "Good night, Lobo."

"'Night." Lobo sighed. "Sleep well."

Remus barely heard him, already drifting off to sleep. He dreamed of wolves and the eclipse and especially Sirius.

\-----

It seemed like only seconds past, and Remus opened his eyes again. Sunlight was pouring in from the window. He felt alert, and he could tell that Moony was beginning to stir inside of him.

He looked down to where Lobo was still sleeping and smiled. It was ironic how much he reminded Remus of Sirius, sleeping like that. Lobo had Sirius's spirit, too- perhaps that was why the two reckless men did not get along well at first. They just had too much in common- both rebellious and wild canines who had a child-like innocence while they slept.

Lobo stirred and slowly opened his eyes, which were now entirely amber colored. "Good morning, Remus." His manner was calm, in control, the Alpha awake.

"Good morning, Lobo." Remus sat up. "So what's the plan?"

"We're going to keep Blaze in the den and out of trouble." Lobo got out of bed, and fetched some clothes out of the closet. "As long as his wolf stays here, we should be fine. Kalika is his mate, and her being there should calm him down some, too. And of course, there is Sophie's potion. We're the security part of the plan." He flashed a grin at Remus at tossed him a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. "The pack gathers in the basement to transform, so that's where we'll be. No matter what sounds we make, the neighbors don't come or call the police- they actually believe this place is haunted."

Remus smiled. 'Like the Shrieking Shack.' He missed Sirius, and longed for him to be there with him. Sure, the pack was there, but he really wanted his mate to be with him during the change. It would be the first transformation in over a decade. He knew that it would be dangerous, the Wolf Pack might attack Padfoot, and he did not want Moony to hurt his new group of friends. He ignored the whimpers of Moony growling inside, calling for his mate.

Blaze looked even paler and more nervous than he'd been last night. Kalika never left his side, constantly whispering comforting things to her mate. He looked up as Remus and Lobo entered the basement. "Ready, Blaze?" Lobo asked.

"Sophious is bringing down the potion now." He sounded so tired, so weak.

"Don't worry, Blaze. We'll make sure you don't break loose." Remus promised his new friend.

Blaze smiled his thanks, but fear still radiated off him. "I'm sure you... recognize me know, without the sunglasses?"

Remus nodded.

"I.... I don't want to hurt anyone. You don't know, you don't know what it was like, during the war. I signed the death warrants of so many wolves. MacNair.... the man worked for me. Merlin, I deserved this, for killing all those people."

"No one ever deserves this, Blaze." Remus murmured softly. "Those were hard times for everyone. No one could do anything but what they were told, with Voldemort and the Death Eaters roaming around."

"I had people killed, Remus." Blaze looked empty. "I killed innocent men and women, for being just like us."

Remus wasn't sure what to say. Lobo spoke up. "Blaze, it wasn't your fault. Half of my family were hunters, and they'd blame my lycanthropy as a result of our curse. Sophious was attacked by a wolf that was set up for her. Kalika was randomly attacked, going back from school one night. And Remus... he was just an innocent child. Do you think any of us deserve this? You certainly don't, either, Blaze. What we do in our past does not mean we can not change our future. And what you did in the past, you can amend only by building a better future. Do you understand?"

Remus had never heard Lobo so stern, and now he realized part of what made him such a good Alpha.

"I guess so." Blaze managed a weak smile.

"Good." Lobo clapped him on the back.

Sophious came down the stairs, closing the door behind her. "It's almost time. Here, drink this Blaze." She handed him a vile of blue liquid.

Blaze accepted it, and brought the tube to his lips with a shaky hand. He swallowed every drop, and visibly calmed, but only slightly.

"We have five minutes. Better get ready..." Sophious peeled off her shirt and removed the rest of her clothing, then folded it and put it on top of the cabinet that was down there.

The rest of the Pack followed suit, including Remus. Then they sat together in a circle on the floor. Sophious motioned for Remus to join them. The wolves were emerging, the eclipse drawing out the full moon into darkness.

Remus was long used to the pain emitting from skin, muscle, and bone as limbs stretched and shifted. Fur sprouted, and fingers melded into massive paws. Moony howled as he fully emerged, and with wolf eyes he observed the room.

His first move was to familiarize himself with his pack mates. It disturbed Moony that Padfoot wasn't around, but he could sense that the wolves in this room would not harm him.

A large gray wolf with a jagged scar across his snout came over and tentatively observed Moony, circling him and sniffing. Moony followed the Alpha's lead, returning the gesture.

The gray wolf looked to the other three wolves in the room. A golden colored female was pacing. Two others, a stunning white male wolf and a jet black female, laid together, nuzzling each other with a playful affection.

Once again, Moony yearned for Padfoot.

\-----

"So, we asked your mother to help us. We got him really drunk, stole all his clothes, and abandoned him in the girl's dorms. You should have seen his face when he woke up in bed beside Emily Kensington!" Sirius could **hear** Moony calling for him, and he had to go.

"Listen, Sirius," Draco looked pissed off. "I'm not in the mood for male bonding, or watching the woman who claims to be my mother lick herself. Can't I just-"

"Be alone so the vampires can capture you demoralizing my godson, and thereby destroying life as we know it? No, I think it's best we all stick together."

"Don't mind Draco. He's just upset that-" Harry stopped himself. "Never mind."

"Harry, there are some things I just shouldn't know. You and Draco's love life is one of those things."

"You believe in that crap?" Draco rubbed at his wrist. "Love is a fairy tale. I'm with Harry because-"

"Not now, Draco!" Harry shot him a look. "Just between us, right?"

"I'm sorry." Draco sighed. "This is a little much for me, alright?"

They stopped in front of the den. Sirius opened the front door. "Moony? Are you in here?"

"I'd try the basement. That's where my father keeps his 'pets'."

"Good idea." Sirius's hand fell on the door knob.

Now what was he forgetting? Damned Azkaban had eaten moth holes in his short term memory. They'd gotten smaller as time went on, but there were still glitches. Oh well. Wasn't important.

He turned the knob. Five seconds later, a snarling white blur leapt at him. There was no time to move or react.

The white werewolf went for Sirius's throat.


	13. Part of Me

Blaze was fast; but Moony was faster. As the white wolf shot up the stairs towards Sirius, Moony leapt ahead of him, knocking his mate and Sirius's godson out of the way.

The white wolf had a new target by now, and advanced on an ashen-faced Draco Malfoy, baring his sharp fangs.

Just as he was about to pounce, the golden wolf leapt at him and stood between Draco and the white wolf, snarling viciously. The two wolves issued their challenge, growling and glaring into each other's eyes.

Yet again something else had caught the white wolf's attention, however.

Before anyone else could even move, Blaze had darted out the front door- which Sirius had forgotten to close behind them.

Oops.

The Alpha and the black wolf ran after him first, sprinting to keep up with the wild, blood-thirsty wolf.

The golden wolf paused, however, and looked to Draco. The blonde Slytherin looked beyond confused, a slight hint of fear reflecting in his silver blue eyes. No one- or nothing for that matter- had ever protected him before.

Just The Lady in his dreams...

"You boys lock up this house and don't let anyone in. I'm going to help them." That said, Sirius changed into Padfoot, then followed Moony to the door.

Like a fascinated child, Draco held out his hand to the golden wolf, as if making sure that his guardian was not just an illusion. The female wolf obliged him, nuzzling the offered hand and giving it a soft lick.

Moony barked to her then, as if asking if she was coming or not. Reluctantly, the golden wolf nuzzled Draco's hand again, then left with Moony and Padfoot.

Draco still seemed confused, but he was no longer afraid. "You okay?" Harry asked, fixing his glasses that had been askew from the fall.

"No. I think I'm having... a moment of clarity." Draco stared at his hand. "She really is the Lady from my dreams. My... mother."

"It's a little much, isn't it?" Harry looked at the still open front door. "Maybe we need to get Sirius some Ginko Biloba."

"What's that?" Draco followed Harry out the door.

\-----

Moony was able to catch up with Lobo and Kalika in no time, using his sense of smell to track them down. Sophious kept her pace, running alongside him and Padfoot.

Yet Blaze's wolf was even faster, despite the sleeping potion. Lobo had been right- the pent up wolf finally had his freedom, and wasn't going to give it up easily.

Worse yet, the white wolf wasn't headed for the forest. The vengeful canine was running towards a heavily populated area, out for blood.

Lobo managed to get a burst of speed, but Blaze nipped and snarled at his Alpha, and wasn't phased by his leader's attempts to stop him.

The white wolf suddenly darted into the bushes and horrified screams rang through the air. They followed him, praying that Blaze hadn't cursed anyone just beyond the foliage.

Groups of terrified Muggles were running away, abandoning their picnics and eclipse viewing spots. Blaze stood out like a ghost in the darkness. Suddenly, the wolf stopped and he threw back his head. A low, menacing howl emerged from deep within the beast's heart.

The rest of the pack caught up to him, and Lobo immediately grabbed a hold of Blaze's neck and threw him down roughly. He kept up the grip, pinning the Omega wolf to the ground. The white wolf eventually submitted to it's Alpha, panting and exhausted from his run. His tail curled between his legs, and his eyes pleadingly gazed into Lobo's.

Lobo tackled Blaze, and they wrestled each other playfully, the wolves rolling over the grass. Moony looked over to Padfoot, relief washing over the both of them.

A loud pop suddenly rang out, getting their attention. Each wolf shrunk back, all ears pressed flat against their heads. Ten men had appeared, wands held in a defensive position. One of the men- in the middle of them all- was Cornelius Fudge himself. "I want them alive!"

Blaze's head snapped up. 'Butcher.' Pulling away from Lobo, he ran full tilt toward a boss he really, really hated.

Lobo tore after him. Blaze managed to tackle Cornelius down, but before he could tear into his throat Lobo was on him again.

And from the crowd came a familiar voice. "Well, well... look what the pack dragged in..."

Sophious froze. Her eyes focused on a place in the crowd. An image flashed before the wolf's eyes as she glared into familiar, icy gray eyes. Scars on her pup's wrists. Just two of the man scars caused by Him. Her supposed mate.

But no longer. Stronger than the bond between herself and Him would always be the bond between the mother and her only pup. Snarling, she lowered her head and pressed her ears flat against her head, and advanced on Lucius.

He smirked, but didn't move. No one else had noticed his presence with the commotion between the white werewolf and Fudge. "Come here, Sophie... you've been a bad dog, running away for so long... but no longer." Sophious maintained a threatening pose, baring her fangs and snapping at Him.

She suddenly leapt at him, but Lucius was ready for such an attack. He caught her with a snare, pulling the loop tightly around her neck. The golden wolf yelped in pain, and began to struggle to break free from his trap. He glared down at her, his eyes narrow and cold. "It's too bad you left, Sophious. You finally would have been reunited with your son. It's too late now, though... time to go back into your cage."

"Oh, it's not too late for anything, Father." Lucius turned around, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

"D-Draco..." He was stunned, then angry. "Harry Potter come and unlock your cage, did he?"

"You neglected to tell the house elves not to let me out." Draco advanced on his father. "And what Harry and I do together is none of your business."

"So joining forces with the Boy Who Lived? Should have known you'd never prove useful to me or the Dark Lord." Lucius yanked Sophious' lead hard and she cried out again. "Especially with this bitch for a mother."

"Don't talk about her like that!" A wolf growled in agreement.

However, it wasn't Sophious who had growled- but Padfoot. Before anyone could move, the great black canine had leapt at Lucius. Too surprised to react, the powerful wizard barely had enough time to raise his arm in defense. The gigantic black dog buried his fangs into Lucius' arm, and he howled in pain. He had released the snare and was beating the dog away frantically, a look of utter horror on his face. Padfoot was stubborn, and finally let go of the arm when the metallic taste of blood became too much. Lucius doubled over in pain, cursing and cradling his wounded arm. Silver eyes like daggers glared at the massive black dog. "Damn you, werewolf! I'll kill you for this!"

Sophious darted over to Draco, the snare still caught around her neck. He kneeled down and removed the snare, tossing it away as though it was on fire. She immediately began to sniff his hands and face, her eyes filled with worry as she made sure her son was all right.

"This the mongrel you replaced me with? Is this your revenge on me? Make me a monster?" Lucius was becoming incoherent.

"You've always been a monster." Draco wasn't going to tell Lucius that Padfoot wasn't a werewolf.

Cornelius Fudge had composed himself, still brushing dirt off his pin- striped cloak. Lobo still kept Blaze in check, chasing after the white wolf as some of the Aurors tried to capture them. Fudge couldn't explain the feeling of déjà vu when the white wolf's eyes met his...

"Sir, they're leaving!" One of the Aurors who was chasing after Moony rushed over, panting.

Cornelius turned around in time to see the wolves vanish into the bushes. He could have sworn he saw two boys running with them, but quickly dismissed the thought. "Let them go for now... we'll take care of them later." He looked at Lucius, who oddly enough was the only one injured. "He's been bitten and most likely infected. Get him in quarantine and get tests running now."

"But sir... we won't know if he's been truly infected until the next full moon... and I don't mean tonight's." Another Auror pointed out.

"Do you think I care about that?" Fudge snapped. "The man's a Death Eater, and with suspicions of You-Know-Who rising and all that other pish-posh it will look good if I imprison the man. Even if it's temporary, it will be good press. Now cage Malfoy and let's go! I've got more important things to concern myself with- like memory charms on all those Muggles who saw a pack of werewolves just now!" He apparated with a pop.

\-----

The pack returned to the den moments before the eclipse was over. The wolves rushed down into the basement, but Padfoot, Harry, and Draco remained upstairs. Padfoot turned into Sirius, who suddenly darted from the room. The bathroom door slammed, and both boys could hear him getting violently sick even from where they stood.

Just then the basement door reopened, and Remus came into the living room, looking physically weary but his eyes still very alert. "Where's Sirius?"

"Trying to get the Malfoy taste out of his mouth." Harry looked Draco over. "I dunno. Never made me nauseous."

Remus raised an eyebrow. There were some things he just did not want to know.

Blaze, Kalika, Sophious, and Lobo came into the room. Blaze looked even more stressed than earlier. "I attacked him, Lobo! I attacked the Minister of Magic! My boss! My friend!"

"Calm down, no one was hurt... well, almost nobody." Lobo grinned. "Where is that sly dog?"

"Reviewing his lunch, I'm afraid." Remus sighed, but smiled. "He bit off more than he could chew."

"I have to thank him... for saving me." Sophious had a thankful smile, then her eyes met her son's. "You... all right, Draco?"

"Am I all right? My father just tried to dognap you." He rubbed at the scars on his wrists. "I'm not all right, and I haven't been for a long time!"

"Draco-"

"You left me with him!" Draco was shaking. "How could you do that to me? I'm your son. You're supposed to love me!"

"I do!" Sophious hadn't expected this. "I do, Draco. More than anything. You have to believe that."

"How could you leave me there?" Draco sagged into Harry's touch. "How could you leave me with that monster?"

Tears formed in her eyes. "Draco, I never meant to leave you but-"

"It's my fault." Lobo spoke up suddenly, looking at Draco sadly. "She didn't leave you willingly, Draco... I... I made her do it. So if you want to be angry at someone, it's me."

"I should have known. In my dreams you were always my savior, but actually you were my damnation." Draco angrily stormed from the room.

Harry looked to Remus, who simply motioned for him to follow Draco. Sophious stood there, her eyes closed as tears slid down her cheeks. Lobo went over to comfort her, but she held out her hand and stopped him. "Just- don't. You've done enough." She raced up the stairs before he could even speak. Lobo looked down, an unreadable expression on his face.

Sirius walked in the room, still gagging from the taste of blood. Half a bottle of mouthwash and a tube of toothpaste had removed it, but the memory of the metallic aftertaste still burned in his mind. He walked over to Remus and smiled. "Might not want a kiss from me anytime soon, Moony." Taking a look around the room, Sirius realized that probably wasn't the best thing to say. He shifted uncomfortably. Silence was never golden to Sirius Black.

Lobo chuckled softly, the sound meek in comparison to his usual laughter. He looked to Sirius, an obviously fake smile pasted awkwardly on the Alpha's face. "You really proved yourself out there tonight, Black. You're officially part of the pack now." His eyes glistened, it was obvious that tears threatened to emerge, but he would never let them see their Alpha cry. "The look on Malfoy's face... Merlin, he actually thought you were a werewolf. Any pup that can trick a wizard like him can definitely run with the big dogs."

Blaze sank onto the couch, pale and shaking. Kalika sat beside her mate, rubbing his shoulders and holding him close against her. "What am I going to do, Lobo? When our eyes met... I could just sense that he knew who I really was... Merlin, I was probably supposed to be there! Dawes, Marsh, and Bennington were all there... he must know! The dementors are probably already on their way!" Blaze shuddered, burying his face into Kalika's chest.

"Don't worry, Blaze... I won't let anything happen to you. You're in my pack, I will protect you." Lobo looked determined, suppressing his own pain to help his pack mate. It was the first time Remus realized what really made Lobo an Alpha wolf- he put the pack before his own life.

"Maybe you're just worried that he met your wolf form, love." Kalika stroked his back and kissed his forehead. "We don't know what's going to happen, my love, but Lobo's right- we'll be okay as long as we stick together."

For some reason, that didn't settle well with Remus. It left him with an empty sort of feeling.

\-----

He knelt at Azimodeus's feet. "Master. There has been a slight problem." The fledgling was trembling. "Lucius was... injured. By the wolves."

Azimodeus looked at the cowering mass of flesh. "Are you telling me that Lucius Malfoy has been infected?"

"Y-yes."

Grabbing a sword from the umbrella rack, Azimodeus promptly killed the bearer of bad news. "I swear, Lucius, the Pack will pay for destroying you!"


End file.
